HMHSE - 91

Under the city, in the house with the “Medical” sign, a middle-aged military doctor hurried over with a medical box and went straight inside.

Inside, there was a lot of chaotic movement. Soon, a soldier ran out, carrying a pile of blood-soaked clothes. Under the clothes was the slender, blood-soaked straight saber.

Then, more soldiers came from outside the door, carrying clean water and hurrying inside.

Shen Rong sat on a chair, watching people go in and out. Piles of bloody cloths were being taken out. The whole room, from inside to outside, smelled of blood.

She had smelled blood on him many times, but most of it belonged to others.

This time, it was all his own.

Outside the door, Zhao Jinkam was asking in a low and anxious voice, “What exactly happened?”

Jia Chen San’s aged voice came from outside. “He blocked several enemy teams alone.”

“What?” Zhao Jinkam was shocked. “Is he trying to get himself killed?”

Hu Shi Yi’s voice was tearful. “The chief did it so that all of his soldiers could come back...”

The outside fell silent, a dead silence.

After a while, Zhao Jinkam came into the room. He walked to the chair, clasped his hands, and said in a low voice, “The Young Mistress must be tired from rushing back. Chong Jun is still being treated. You don’t have to worry. Why don’t you go rest first? I will send someone to inform you immediately if anything happens.”

Shen Rong did not respond. She sat motionless, her cloak still on. The water-green collar of the cloak contrasted with her cold, pale face.

Zhao Jinkam wanted to say a few more words of comfort, but he suddenly saw her eyes lift. He followed her gaze and saw the soldier who had just carried the water inside coming out. The water in the copper basin was completely red, and a bloody cloth was draped over his arm.

Seeing this, and not knowing how much blood had been lost, he frowned and was speechless.

Suddenly, a military doctor’s anxious low shout came from inside. “Quick, help hold it down! Press it tightly!”

A figure in front of him moved. Shen Rong had already stood up and walked inside.

The curtain was lifted, and the people inside were in a frenzy.

The military doctor was busy and, at the same time, giving orders to the soldiers next to him. “Press it down properly! The bleeding hasn’t stopped yet!”

Shen Rong looked at the person lying motionless on the bed. His eyes were closed, his chest was bare, and even though he had been wiped, he was still covered in blood.

A soldier was pressing a cloth on his ribs. The cloth was completely red, and blood was still dripping from the edges.

The military doctor held his shoulder. “Over there, there’s another wound on his chest. Don’t press down on his back. There are wounds on his back too!”

Shen Rong watched silently. She suddenly walked over, grabbed a cloth, and pressed it on his chest.

The military doctor was stunned. He ignored his surprise and quickly continued. “Press it down tightly!”

Shen Rong pressed both of her hands on him. The warm blood seeped through her fingers, slid over the man’s waist, and landed on the old blanket on the bed in brownish-red drops.

She pressed harder. She felt for the beating of his heart, and her own heart started beating faster and faster.

This body had held her not long ago and was intimately close to her. But now, it was covered in wounds, lying motionless and at the mercy of others.

She bit her lip tightly. Her palms were warm with blood, and the backs of her hands were cold.

“Madam, Madam...” After some time, the military doctor called out to her. “It’s alright. The bleeding has stopped.”

Shen Rong let go of her hands somewhat blankly, her hands numb.

The military doctor hurried over to apply the medicine. His face was already pale and covered in sweat.

The thick, pungent smell of the medicine couldn’t cover the smell of blood.

Shen Rong came to her senses and realized that she had been clenching her hands tightly. Her nails were digging into her palms, and her hands were all covered in his blood.

After he was done, the military doctor wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and said in a low voice, “Please wait outside, Madam.”

Shen Rong’s tightly pursed lips parted. She finally asked, “How is he?”

The military doctor stammered. “His injuries are too severe, and he held on for a long time. We will all do our best...”

Shen Rong looked at his handsome face, which was still the same but now hidden in a deep gloom, with a heavy shadow under his high nose.

Zhao Jinkam came in and, seeing her bloody hands, quickly said, “Young Mistress, let’s go out. Leave this to the doctor.”

Shen Rong took a step back, turned around, and slowly walked out.

She turned her head back. The curtain was lifted and then fell, covering the long figure lying on the bed.

Shen Rong sat back on the chair, pinching a corner of her cloak to wipe the blood from her hands. Over and over again, her palms turned red, but it seemed she could never wipe it clean.

Many people were still coming and going. The smell of medicine filled the air. Zhao Jinkam was pacing back and forth beside her. She didn’t pay any attention to any of it.

“Young Mistress, it’s time to eat.” When Zirui stood beside her, it was already late. She reminded her gently. “You’ve been sitting here for a long time.”

As she spoke, she took off the cloak she was wearing. A corner of the hem was wrinkled and stained with the blood from her hands, which was shocking to look at.

“Is he awake?” she suddenly asked.

Zirui took a wet towel to wipe her hands again. She glanced inside and saw the redness in her palm, and remained silent.

Shen Rong didn’t look inside again or ask any more questions. She withdrew her hand.

Zirui could only retreat silently.

Who knows how much time had passed? It seemed that the light outside the door had even dimmed. No one was coming or going anymore, but the military doctor still hadn’t come out.

Suddenly, a soldier from the city guard ran to the door. “Prefect, many carriages have arrived in the city. They are carriages of court officials.”

Zhao Jinkam was shocked. He quickly walked out.

Hu Shi Yi suddenly rushed to the door. He was still covered in blood and dirt. “People from the court? Could they be the ones investigating the chief? They came so quickly!”

Zhao Jinkam stopped at the door. “What do you mean? Who is investigating him?”

Hu Shi Yi said, “The chief said outside the pass that the court was investigating him after this battle. That’s why he had to bring his soldiers back.”

Zhao Jinkam was surprised.

“Prefect, they’ve arrived!” the city guard reminded him.

Zhao Jinkam did not ask any more questions and hurried out.

Shen Rong turned to look outside, supported herself on the chair, and slowly walked to the window. With half of her body hidden behind the window panel, she looked outside. A team of carriages had already driven straight over.

Carriages pulled by four horses, with a team of armed guards on either side, had driven all the way from the city gate to this area below the city. There were hundreds of them, looking quite imposing. They blocked the area from the city gate to this spot.

After they stopped, two armored military officials with swords rode out from among the guards. They reined in their horses on the left and right, looking dignified.

Between them, a horse came out, with a eunuch on it, wearing a tall hat and holding a horsetail whisk.

After dismounting, the eunuch respectfully took a yellow silk scroll from his chest, and his sharp voice said coldly, “Where is the Youzhou Commander Shan Zong? Come forward to receive the decree immediately.”

Zhao Jinkam was shocked and hurried forward to bow. “I didn’t know the Emperor would personally visit the border. Messenger Shan is seriously injured. I, Zhao Jinkam, the Prefect of Youzhou, am willing to receive the decree on his behalf.”

The city guards on the left and right behind him also all knelt down.

“Seriously injured?” the eunuch’s voice was thin. “Where is he?”

Zhao Jinkam said, “He is being treated in the medical house behind this place.”

“It’s even better if he’s here.” The eunuch glanced to his left and right.

The two military officials immediately waved their hands, and a group of guards went forward, surrounding the door.

Shen Rong glanced at them. They didn’t even look at the people inside the door. They just prevented anyone from entering or leaving, as if they were afraid Shan Zong would escape.

The eunuch did not say much and unrolled the yellow silk scroll to read. “By the Emperor’s decree, it has been found in the late Emperor’s secret records that the Youzhou Commander Shan Zong is guilty of an old case, having killed the former Youzhou Military Governor Li Xiaogu, and his Lulong Army committed treason and defected to the enemy. He has been pardoned and secretly stationed in Youzhou for several years. In consideration of his great achievements in repelling the strong enemy and protecting the city and the mine, the current Emperor attaches great importance to this matter and has ordered a personal review of the old case, ordering him to return to the capital. The officials and soldiers of Youzhou are not to provide sanctuary. Any violation will be considered a rebellion.”

Zhao Jinkam looked up in astonishment.

The surroundings fell silent, from the city wall to the area below.

Their military leader, the hero who defended Youzhou, had suddenly become a murderer and a traitor.

Shen Rong’s fingers moved. She stared blankly at the scene outside the window. The blood on her hands was not yet dry, but she had just received this sudden news.

She had asked him if his pardon was for the crime of the Lulong Army’s treason.

He had said, “That was the most serious one.”

Now he was lying inside, and the court officials had already arrived to punish him.

When she heard her father say that this battle had alarmed the current Emperor, she had a vague feeling. Now she knew what she was worried about.

It was this very moment.

Suddenly, a figure rushed over, holding something in both hands, and knelt down beside Zhao Jinkam. “The Lulong Army did not commit treason! Please, Your Majesty, investigate this matter!”

The eunuch’s sharp voice shouted angrily, “Who dares to cause trouble here!”

It was Hu Shi Yi. He held up a letter and shouted loudly, “I am Hu Shi Yi, a centurion of the Youzhou Military Camp, and I am here at the request of the Youzhou Commander Shan Zong to present the truth! The remnants of the Lulong Army have been found! They did not commit treason!”

Zhao Jinkam was so shocked that he couldn’t say a word.

Shen Rong put one hand on the windowsill. This was not something Hu Shi Yi would say. This must have been arranged by Shan Zong. That letter must have been prepared by him long ago.

She heard the military doctor’s oblivious low murmur from inside and looked coldly at the carriage.

The curtain of the carriage suddenly moved, and someone came out of the carriage. He was wearing a red official robe, his face was pale and thin, and he was a gentleman of integrity.

Shen Rong glanced at him and recognized him.

It was the Marquis of Heluo himself.

He looked at Hu Shi Yi. “Do you know that if even half of what you said is false, it is a capital offense of deceiving the emperor?”

Hu Shi Yi’s rough voice said loudly, “I know! The chief did not commit treason! The Lulong Army did not commit treason! The Lulong Army is right here!”

Shen Rong’s heart trembled. She suddenly looked behind Hu Shi Yi.

The eighty figures dressed as outlaws had walked all the way from the other end of the area below the city to this end.

The guards in front of the carriage immediately pointed their spears at them, ready for a fight.

Even the Marquis of Heluo couldn’t help but take half a step back. “Who are you?”

When the group arrived in front of the carriage, they put down their weapons.

Jia Chen San took a step forward and clasped his fists. “I am Pang Lu, the cavalry commander of the Ninth Cavalry Camp of the Lulong Army.”

Wei Shen Wu clasped his fists. “I am Luo Chong, the cavalry commander of the Fourteenth Cavalry Camp of the Lulong Army.”

“The cavalry commander of the Thirty-ninth Cavalry Camp of the Lulong Army...”

“The Lulong Army...”

The Marquis of Heluo scrutinized them. He seemed to have thought for a moment before saying, “I have an impression of these names. The report that Shan Zong submitted mentioned that you helped him repel the enemy. So you group of convicts are the remnants of the Lulong Army. Are you trying to say that because you have a military achievement, the Lulong Army did not commit treason?”

Before he could finish, more people came from behind them.

Shen Rong had already been watching that area. The wild-looking team she had seen outside the city gate when she first arrived was slowly approaching from the distant city.

They had not left. They had stayed in the vicinity of the city since Shan Zong fell. Many of them had freshly bandaged wounds and were walking slowly and silently, with old and damaged weapons.

Leading the way were three middle-aged men. Their clothes were tattered, their armor was strange, and their faces were gaunt. They tried their best to stand up straight. They said nothing and dragged their old and damaged weapons.

When they got closer, they merged with the eighty people in front of them and put down their weapons.

One person stepped out and clasped his fists. “I am Bo Zhong, the cavalry commander of the First Cavalry Camp of the Lulong Army. I led the Lulong remnants of more than one thousand eight hundred people with the Lulong Army’s leader, Shan Zong, to break through the enemy’s interception outside the pass and have just arrived in Youzhou.”

There was no other sound. Even the sounds from the distant city were faint.

Only the voices of this group of people remained below the city.

The Marquis of Heluo was obviously stunned for a moment. He took a step forward. “How can you prove that you are the Lulong remnants?”

Jia Chen San pulled up the sleeve of his right arm.

Everyone followed his action and pulled up the sleeves of their right arms. The Lulong insignia tattoo was clearly visible.

Shen Rong watched silently, knowing what he had gone to do and what kind of people he had brought back.

After a bizarre standoff for a moment, the Marquis of Heluo gently extended his hand and finally took the letter from Hu Shi Yi.

“The Emperor attaches great importance to this matter. He will eventually compare it with the Lulong old roster to verify the facts. Since Shan Zong dares to submit it, I will accept it and present it to the Emperor.”

After saying that, he put the letter in his sleeve and gestured to the person beside him.

A military official dismounted and walked towards the house.

Shen Rong stood by the window and watched the military official walk straight into the door and into the inner room without a glance.

There was a moment of chaotic movement. Not long after, he came out again, walked quickly, and said in a low voice in front of the Marquis of Heluo, “I have seen him in front of the late Emperor. It is indeed Shan Zong himself. He is already...”

She didn’t hear the rest. She only saw the Marquis of Heluo’s gentle face frown. He nodded, said nothing, and got into the carriage.

The guards outside gathered, and the carriage left the front of the house.

Zhao Jinkam got up at this time and quickly followed them.

Shen Rong didn’t care where they went. She only cared about their expressions and what they had said. Her heart suddenly started beating rapidly. She turned back and walked all the way to the inner room.

The soldier who was helping came out. He met her and used his hand to block her way in front of the curtain. He lowered his head and said, “Madam, you can’t go in yet. The military doctor is still saving him.”

Shen Rong stood in front of the curtain for a moment, thinking about how he had arranged everything and was now lying inside with a clear conscience. She nodded coldly. “Okay. Save him. I’ll wait.”