Chapter 853 - 855 Someone Can’t Keep Their Qi Down_1
The eyes of the ordinary soldiers couldn’t help but turn red. Dying on the battlefield was all too common, and if they were to lose their lives here today, they could blame no one. Yet the lady regarded their lives so highly that she insisted on giving them the scant medicine first.
"For the others, Chu Hai and I will use acupuncture to control the poison until we reach a safe location, where we can then administer the antidote to everyone," Bai Ruozhu continued.
None objected, not even the dark guards. They knew they were not yet dying, and as Bai Ruozhu had said, there was no point in watching their own people succumb to poison.
Chu Hai hadn’t spoken up until he heard Bai Ruozhu’s instructions, then began to administer acupuncture without any hesitation.
After Bai Ruozhu finished distributing the pills, she immediately started acupuncture, naturally giving priority to her own dark guards. The guards understood and felt somewhat moved.
Their master handled affairs with fairness and justice yet still thought of them first.
Jiang Yichun counted the number of people. There were many injured, so he directed his deputy officer to organize groups, arranging for the uninjured to carry those who were injured. For the soldiers who had already sacrificed their lives, all he could do was arrange for pits to be dug nearby to give them a proper burial.
During military campaigns, if someone died, they were usually buried on site. The personal belongings they carried would be taken and, after the war, returned to their families for remembrance.
Jiang Yichun sighed. Although they were not in the midst of an urgent military campaign, the weather was too hot, making it impractical to find coffins for a proper burial.
On another side, someone came to report at dawn, "Master, those people are all stunned, just like the previous ones."
Jiang Yichun took a deep breath. It seemed that those involved were the same group as before, and the earlier encounter had been merely a probe. Now they were serious. Fortunately, he had made early arrangements, or else...
Still, the casualties were severe.
After Bai Ruozhu finished her work, she nodded towards Chu Hai and said, "Thank you."
Chu Hai didn’t utter a word, still wearing his usual cold expression.
Bai Ruozhu didn’t gaze at him any longer, turning her head instead to count her own numbers. She had assigned dark guards to protect the Tu siblings—how could it be that someone nearly died?
Upon checking, she felt a pang. Aside from four of her subordinates being poisoned, two had died.
Her dark guards were all elite, and losing two so suddenly was hard for her to stomach. Moreover, they had always protected her with all their hearts and suddenly to have lost their lives like this...
Bai Ruozhu clenched her teeth, she would definitely avenge her subordinates!
Suddenly, a cold glint flashed in Bai Ruozhu’s eyes. She strode towards Jiang Yichun, "Achun, I have something to discuss with you."
Seeing her stern expression, Jiang Yichun immediately followed her to the side and asked in a low voice, "Have you found a problem?"
"Two of my dark guards died. They were assigned to protect the Tu siblings. There are also four others who were poisoned, but only those two died. Does this mean that the military force attacking the Tu siblings is stronger? Could it just be a coincidence?" Bai Ruozhu said.
Jiang Yichun’s eyes darkened a shade, his voice very low, "That’s not impossible to consider. If Tu Bai had died here, those with ulterior motives could spread different news, and it’s very likely that Tu Lie would..."
Bai Ruozhu understood the importance of Tu Lie’s position to the Northwest. Though not critical, it was like a fulcrum of balance, and a single move could disrupt the entire equilibrium.
"But to come all this way just for Tu Bai, doesn’t that seem quite a fuss?" Bai Ruozhu again felt something was amiss.
Jiang Yichun’s complexion suddenly changed, "Let’s get past here first, and we’ll talk in detail when we reach the town ahead. I’m afraid the Duke may be growing impatient."
Bai Ruozhu’s heart pounded wildly, if the Duke started to make his move, then Beiyu City would surely fall into chaos, wouldn’t it? What about her family?
Jiang Yichun turned to instruct his subordinates, and the team resumed their advance. However, because the road was blocked, the soldiers had to push some of the giant stones with the fire already extinguished before the convoy could pass through successfully.
By the time the group arrived at the next city, Zhou City, night had already fallen.
This time, Jiang Yichun had sent someone ahead with a token to the Zhou City County Government Office. The County Magistrate hurriedly brought his horsemen to wait at the City Gate. Although he knew they had been attacked on the road, the sight of so many injured soldiers still frightened him immensely. After all, this incident had occurred within his jurisdiction. Would the Emperor hold him accountable for this negligence?
With a place arranged ahead of time by the County Magistrate, the troops quickly found a spot to rest and recuperate. Bai Ruozhu, not daring to delay, wrote down formulas and sent someone to collect the medicine. After she settled Tu Bai, she pulled Tu Ying to guard the door and hurriedly began suturing Tu Bai’s wound.
"Sister Ruozhu, what is this?" Tu Ying was very puzzled to see the needle Bai Ruozhu held, and even more so when she saw her stitching her brother’s flesh, she found it very strange.
Bai Ruozhu lowered her voice, "This is the Suturing Technique, which can help wounds heal better. I once presented this technique to the Imperial Court, and His Majesty warned me not to use it in front of others."
"Ah, I won’t tell anyone." Tu Ying quickly promised.
After Bai Ruozhu finished suturing Tu Bai’s wound, she and Tu Ying helped bandage it up. Then she cautioned, "You mustn’t remove the gauze in front of others. Don’t let anyone see the wound."
Tu Ying nodded vigorously, "I understand."
At that moment, the medicine was brought back. Bai Ruozhu watched over the preparation of the medicine for Tu Bai, as well as the antidote for those who had been poisoned. She distributed the antidote to each poisoned individual.
"You must take the medicine three times to completely clear the poison. Those who have been poisoned, do not wander about. There are also dietary restrictions which you must follow. I will arrange for someone to bring your meals." Bai Ruozhu told the poisoned individuals.
Many in the troop were injured this time, and the County Magistrate found several doctors to help treat them. Even so, Bai Ruozhu was busy until late into the night.
After Jiang Yichun finished handling affairs, he noticed Bai Ruozhu was still treating the injured. He felt a pang of distress as he silently watched her from behind.
Bai Ruozhu was bandaging a soldier when suddenly a handkerchief reached out, gently wiping away the sweat bead about to slide down her forehead. She turned her head to see Jiang Yichun’s somewhat reddened eyes.
"I’m almost done," she smiled at him.
"Good, let’s go back together," Jiang Yichun replied as she laid down her tools. He helped her stand up and waited for her to give a few more instructions to the injured before pulling her away.
Bai Ruozhu had been tired all day, having hardly eaten anything. When she suddenly stood up and took a couple of steps, she felt a wave of darkness before her eyes and her body swayed involuntarily. He promptly swept her into his arms, not caring about the gazes of the injured, and strode toward the room.
Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment, "I’m just a bit tired, I’m fine now, with so many people watching."
But Jiang Yichun still held her tightly, "Never mind them. My wife has exhausted herself. Anyone who dares say a word will be dealt with by military law!"
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but laugh, "Aren’t you afraid of being called ruthless?"
"As long as you don’t think I’m ruthless, that’s enough," Jiang Yichun replied with a smile.
He carried her into the room, only to find Bai Zepei inside, keeping company with the sleeping Dengdeng. Bai Ruozhu had not expected her second brother to be in their room, and her face flushed red in an instant...