This Is More Like an Imperial Daughter
Xuan Tian Ming gave the order that Song Kang had to treat Feng Jin Yuan’s illness, saying: “No matter what, that is your master’s father. Whether he lives or dies, it is not up to you.”
There was nothing that Song Kang could say to this. Carrying his medicine kit, he entered Feng Jin Yuan’s tent; however, what he saw was someone with sunken eyes that had become much thinner. He was laying in bed while staring at the ceiling. There was no light left in his eyes, and he was surrounded by an aura of death. If it was not for the fact that his breathing was still noticeable, he would have looked exactly like a dead person.
He stepped forward while in not much of a good mood. Placing the medicine kit on the table with a “thunk,” he loudly said to Feng Jin Yuan: “I came to treat your illness!” While speaking, he rolled his eyes and muttered: “While living, you don’t know how to act properly, and when you’re about to die, you’re still causing trouble.”
Feng Jin Yuan glanced at Song Kang and thought to himself that the master would take a disciple with a similar personality! Song Kang’s personality really was the exact same as Feng Yu Heng’s, saying anything that was on his mind. He would not allow himself to hold anything back. He smiled bitterly and said to Song Kang: “There’s no need to treat me. I’ve lived long enough. To continue living would be a sin. Thank you for your kind intentions. You can go back!”
Song Kang let out a “tsk” sound, “What do you mean continuing to live would be a sin? You are already a sin! If you don’t want to get treated, forget about it. Do you think I want to treat you? The one my master hates the most is you.” After he finished speaking, he picked up his medicine kit and turned around to leave the tent.
Feng Jin Yuan smiled bitterly; however, he was thinking about the lines that Song Kang had said, “The one my master hates the most is you.” This left him with a bad taste in his mouth.
Xuan Tian Ming stood outside the tent and could clearly hear the movements inside the tent. When Song Kang came out, he took a look at him and waved his hand, not making any further requests. He just gave the order to the soldiers outside: “Do not treat him poorly.” This would be considered a final consideration for Feng Jin Yuan.
Feng Jin Yuan, however, could not eat anything, nor would he take his medicine. His condition was steadily deteriorating, and he was about to reach the precipice. The soldiers reported to Xuan Tian Ming time and time again about the situation, and Xuan Tian Ming eventually grew irritated, simply ordering: “Stop reporting. Since he doesn’t want to live, we won’t stop him.”
But there were still those that had learned to write their names from Feng Jin Yuan and those who had received help in writing their final words. While delivering food, they said to Feng Jin Yuan: “You repeatedly saying that you’re sorry to Imperial Daughter is pointless if you say it to us. If you really want to admit your mistakes, why not recover a bit and wait for Imperial Daughter to reach the South to personally tell her? In any case, dying after saying will leave you with no regrets.”
Feng Jin Yuan sighed bitterly: “I can’t endure until that moment. I am clear on my own situation. I have no more than three days.”
“But I heard that Imperial Daughter will be able to arrive in the South within ten days!” The soldier said: “The doctors have all said that if the illness is treated, you can still get better.” Reaching this point, he thought for a bit. Although he was a bit troubled, he still said it: “Alright! That’s just if the treatment begins early on. If you had been cooperative at that time, you could have been treated. But now, it’s already spread to your entire body. Ghost Doctor has already said that even if Imperial Daughter came, you could not recover fully. But if you were willing to take the medicine and endure a few more days until Imperial Daughter arrives in the military camp, it won’t be a problem. Do you really not want to see Imperial Daughter once more?”
These words had finally managed to move Feng Jin Yuan. He had no concern about whether he lived or died. Even hearing that the illness could not be treated fully, he did not react much. But was Feng Yu Heng really going to be coming? If she could arrive within ten days, he wished to wait a little longer. This soldier was correct. There were some things that needed to be said in person, and there was some guilt that needed to be expressed in person. He really wanted to apologize to that second daughter. Even if Feng Yu Heng did not accept it, he would feel a little less miserable.
Feng Jin Yuan gained a bit of motivation and began to cooperate by eating and taking medicine. Although he would vomit a third of what he ate, it was better than not eating anything. Feng Yu Heng was about to reach the South. This had become the thought that prolonged his life…
At this time, Feng Yu Heng’s group had already entered Luo Province’s borders. It was currently the middle of Spring, and the food that they purchased was all leftover from the previous year. But the grain stores that were in Luo Province were very plentiful. She had plenty of money and after buying a full ten carriages of grains, she continued buying.
But the grain merchants in Luo Province were unhappy. Although they had plenty of grains saved up, this sort of purchasing method did not seem like a good thing. What exactly was a girl buying this much grain for?
The grain merchants had this thought, and a number of people gathered together to discuss this. After this meeting, they decided that they would no longer sell any more grains to Feng Yu Heng. There was nothing that Feng Yu Heng could do. Even after revealing her identity, she found out that the existence of the so-called Imperial Daughter Ji An was a joke existence. One of the grain merchants said: “How could another person impersonating Imperial Daughter Ji An have appeared? Do you all think we’re idiots?”
Another person chimed in: “That’s right! The fake imperial daughter in Lan Zhou opened a Hundred Herb Hall for the sake of wantonly accumulating wealth. Now, it’s already been exposed. Even Lan Zhou’s prefect was executed by His Highness the ninth prince. Now, another girl has come impersonating her. Are you not afraid of being executed?”
Feng Yu Heng heard this and laughed, “Fu Ya was exposed? So quickly?” She asked one of the people: “You said that Ji Ling Tian was executed. Is this true or false?”
The grain merchant replied: “He brought people and killed the madam with the surname Yao. That was Imperial Daughter Ji An’s mother. It would be strange if His Highness the ninth prince didn’t execute him. I heard that he was executed in front of Yao shi’s grave along with the officer that actually committed the murder. The blood spewed quite far.”
For a while, the people began to discuss the matter of Yao shi, and there were even some that said: “I heard that Yao shi was stabbed through the chest and died pretty horribly.”
When Feng Yu Heng heard this, her chest began to ache. It was not as sudden as it had been before, but it was a bit of an aching pain. There was a process that was very slow and painful.
Ban Zou supported her and saw that beads of sweat were appearing on his master’s brow. He quickly called Huang Quan and Wang Chuan to help bring her back inside the carriage. He set the carriage in motion and brought along the ten carriages of grains. Without mentioning the matter of buying more grains, they headed straight for Lan Zhou.
Although Feng Yu Heng had been prepared for something bad to have happened to Yao shi, when she personally heard that Yao shi had died, her body’s natural reaction was a bit difficult for her to endure. She leaned against Wang Chuan, as tears streamed down her face. Even with Yao shi being the way that she was later on, doing so many evil things to her, she could still remember that appearance that was so similar. In the end, that was still a face that perfectly resembled her mother’s face from her previous life! In her previous and current life, the relationship with her mother had been lacking. Who knew if this was a deliberate arrangement by the heavens or if this was just how her life should be.
Although the people at her side could not fully understand her emotions, they could understand the feelings of a girl losing her mother. Huang Quan and Wang Chuan were both orphans. When their family members died, they were still young, so young that they could not even remember them, but nobody wished to be an orphan and live alone. It had occurred more than once that they had imagined their family members still being around. What would their lives be like?
Wang Chuan held Feng Yu Heng. The master that was a few years younger than her caused her to feel some distress. She repeatedly said to Feng Yu Heng: “Young Miss, don’t worry. Madam has gone to enjoy a better life.”
Feng Yu Heng nodded, but the tears continued to flow.
There were ten carriages filled with grains. Although Feng Yu Heng had wanted to obtain a bit more, after she found out about what had happened to Yao shi, she had no choice but to temporarily give up on the idea of continuing to buy grains. Instead, she quickly headed in the direction of Lan Zhou. But even in this case, ten carriages of grains was not a small amount. The carriages were so full that they were too heavy and required two horses to pull them.
The soldiers guarding Lan Zhou City were Xuan Tian Ming’s people. They immediately recognized Feng Yu Heng, and they knew that this could not be a fake because Wang Chuan and Huang Quan were both present! The soldiers quickly gathered around and began to exchange greetings. But Feng Yu Heng’s expression was clearly not too great, and Wang Chuan secretly told the soldiers: “Imperial Daughter heard the news about madam Yao.” The soldiers heard this and also began to feel pained.
But no matter how listless Feng Yu Heng was, the things that needed to be done would need to be done. She told the soldiers: “The carriages in the back are filled with grains that were bought for Prince Yu’s army. Have people unload the grains. I fear that transporting them to Sha Ping City will require camels.”
When the soldiers heard that it had been obtained for them, they were all exceptionally happy. They quickly called people to bring the grains out of the carriages and move them into other carriages. Huang Quan paid the drivers of the carriages then sent them back. Only then did she follow Feng Yu Heng and the group transporting grains toward Sha Ping City.
The real Imperial Daughter Ji An had arrived in Lan Zhou. To the citizens of Lan Zhou, this was a big deal, especially since she had brought ten large carriages full of grains to support the army. This was in line with what they had originally thought of the imperial daughter. In addition to this, compared to the earlier Fu Ya, they all felt that this was how the real imperial daughter should be.
Thus the citizens of Lan Zhou sent off Feng Yu Heng, closely following the carriages toward the southern gate. There were even some that had heard that Feng Yu Heng was very heartbroken because of the matter with Yao shi, and they all began to curse that fake imperial daughter. They also loudly promised: “Imperial Daughter, don’t worry! This time, our eyes have been opened. As long as that fake imperial daughter is still in Lan Zhou City, we will definitely find her!”
Right before leaving the city, Feng Yu Heng exited the carriage and expressed her thanks to the people of Lan Zhou. She also promised them that she would definitely return to Lan Zhou after the army’s matters were concluded. She would personally open a real Hundred Herb Hall. At the same time, she ordered Wang Chuan to remember to write a letter to Ji An Prefecture after they arrived in Sha Ping City. They would tell Wang Lin to send four doctors to this area in preparations for opening a new Hundred Herb Hall.
Leaving Lan Zhou and passing through the South, carriages could no longer be used. They switched to riding camels. Ban Zou had originally wanted to bring Feng Yu Heng ahead, as he knew that Feng Yu Heng was very anxious to reach Sha Ping City. Regardless of whether it was to see His Highness or to bow before Yao shi’s grave, they should both be pressing matters.
But Feng Yu Heng did not want to arrive that quickly. There were still some things that she had not had time to think about. Once she really did see Yao shi’s grave, she was a little afraid to think about how she should face it.
“Let’s just go like this!” She refused Ban Zou’s suggestion and lowered her head. While riding the camel, she did not make a single sound. There was nothing that Ban Zou could do. Along with Huang Quan, they remained at her two sides, closely protecting Feng Yu Heng for fear that she might fall from the camel in her current condition.
Finally, as they approached Sha Ping, she stopped her camel and said to Wang Chuan and Huang Quan: “You guys bring the grains into the city first. I will go to her grave to take a look.” On the way over, she had asked the soldiers about where Yao shi had been buried. At this time, she just gave the order then had the camel quickly run off in the direction of the oasis to the East of Sha Ping City…