Chapter 269: The Way Home (Part 2)

Historical Fiction

It was the eighth day of the month, approaching noon.

The scorching sun beat down from the sky, and the mountain path lay silent. Clear traces of a large crowd were imprinted on the path: wooden baskets, shoes, clothes, bundles, flags, and even large and small wooden furniture. Human footprints and those of various livestock were scattered haphazardly, trampling the grass and disarraying the bushes. As a gentle mountain breeze rustled through the tree canopy, torn pieces of cloth spun in the air.

Two figures emerged from the shade of the trees. After observing for a moment, they exchanged gestures and descended into the valley to ascertain the direction the crowd had taken. The wind died down, exposing them to the sunlight. It was clear that both carried weapons; one had a bow strapped to his back, the other a crossbow. Due to the heat, they wore only single layers of clothing, but even so, their attire seemed patched together and makeshift. From their agile movements, they resembled mountain hunters.

They were certainly not hunters.

The scattered remnants in the valley were left behind by refugees after the conflict in Hangzhou. With so many people and so little order, discerning their general direction was quite simple. One man walked ahead, while the other searched through the tangled grass and discarded items, occasionally bending down to pick something up before discarding it again. When the man ahead reached the mountainside and looked forward into the sunlight, the man in the grass suddenly found something. He quickly bent down, picked it up, examined it, and even wiped it on his sleeve. Not far away, his companion, having checked the tracks ahead, turned back from the hillside. The man in the grass waved, holding up the item in his hand. In the sunlight, it appeared to be a string of precious pearls.

After waving, the man continued to rummage in the grass, but after searching for a while, he found no other valuables. He stood up, looking at his approaching companion, when suddenly, his body lurched. An arrow had pierced his chest at an angle, its fletching trembling in the air. In the blinding sunlight before his eyes, his companion lunged forward, and another arrow flashed by like a dark shadow... This was the last image he saw.

The man in the valley, still holding the pearl necklace, swayed a few times before collapsing. In the grass, another figure scrambled up and fled swiftly. Another arrow whistled past. From the nearby woods, two figures charged out, drawing their bows as they ran. Yet another arrow grazed the fleeing man’s side, drawing a streak of blood.

The fleeing man turned and fired an arrow back before disappearing into the woods. One of the two pursuers followed him. The other ran towards the corpse in the valley. He turned the body over, then carefully pried open the corpse’s fingers to retrieve the pearl necklace. He looked around, searched the body again, finding some bits of silver, and muttered a curse. He then searched the nearby grass and bushes for several zhang before his companion, who had pursued into the woods, returned. The two examined the pearl necklace together, then scouted the valley for a while. After seemingly finding two more valuable items, they vanished in another direction.

Not long after, under the scorching sun, a dense mass of figures appeared at the mouth of the valley. The crowd moved forward with little order. A few leaders rode on horseback, while the rest walked. Some listlessly carried flags; a larger one bore the character "Fang," indicating it was an army from Fang La's rebellion, while smaller flags were varied, such as "Li" or "Lu." Their clothing was also irregular, most just wearing dirty red cloths wrapped around their heads. Some, tired from walking, took off their red cloths to wipe away sweat. Each carried one or two weapons of various kinds; while swords, spears, and halberds were present, hoes and rakes were also common. Most had little morale. If they were to be called bandits, perhaps only a minority possessed the legendary ferocity of such men; most felt like mere peasants, some scrawny, dragging their weapons under the blazing sun, sweating profusely and walking weakly. Compared to the fierce rebels under Fang La who had caused chaos and slaughter in Hangzhou, this group was far inferior.

One hundred, two hundred, three hundred men... As the leading group entered the valley, the rear of the column stretched outside. They were clearly following the escapees' tracks. The mounted leaders pointed and whispered among themselves as they observed the signs in the valley. As the rest of the column passed, soldiers instinctively kicked at the grass and rummaged, then were pushed forward by their companions. When they were halfway through the valley, one of the men in front turned back and pointed his horse whip towards the woods, and some men went into the trees.

Moments later, shouts suddenly erupted from the woods, rising to a crescendo, as if thousands were hiding and pouring out. The dense formation in the valley panicked for a moment, but shouts and commands followed. The men on horseback drew their long-handled weapons, and those with bows strung them, aiming at the woods. The first to flee back in disarray were the scouts who had entered the woods. Immediately after, a dense mass of people surged out. Their attire was also varied and seemed shabby, their headscarves yellowish-brown. Many stood with bows drawn, looking down upon them. Surprisingly, the main flag carried by this group emerging from the woods also bore the character "Fang," though their secondary flags read characters like "Si" and "Yao."

The burly man leading the valley group, holding a large saber, raised his weapon at the front of his formation and made a gesture to calm his subordinates. He silently observed the people above for a moment before speaking: "Yao Yi! What are you doing! We have no past grievances or recent enmity, both ordered north by Commander Fo. How dare you ambush me here!?"

The crowd in the woods stirred. A moment later, a group parted to reveal their leader, a skinny man with a pointed chin, who looked down with disdain. He then pointed to a flag beside him: "Ambush you! Lu Qiao, if I really wanted to ambush you, I wouldn't even be flying this flag, and you'd be dead by now!"

Yao Yi's voice was also somewhat high-pitched. As he spoke, he waved his hand and jumped. "I won't kill you today! My name is Yao Yi; 'righteousness' comes first! I don't stoop to despicable and dirty acts like ambushing allies! But today, you must hand over the culprits! Who are you, despicable attackers, who killed my scouts—"

The man in the valley, named Lu Qiao, was stunned for a moment. He cursed in dialect: "Yao Yi! Your head's full of crap! You don't even know what you're saying! 'Righteousness first'? Change your name to Righteous Yao, then maybe 'righteousness' would truly come first for you! Right now, it's at the back! Despicable attack, killing your scouts? I don't know a thing about it..."

"I! You, Lu! Your men are the closest in this area. Let me tell you, my men aren't all dead; one escaped! He said it was your people! But he died from poison right after he spoke, snake venom, and your side is the most skilled with it! Am I falsely accusing you—"

Both sides swore at each other, rapidly approaching, and under the blazing sun, tensions were clearly at their breaking point. In the foothills to one side, two eyes briefly flashed. Several li away, another army was resting in a forest, preparing to set off north once the hottest part of the day passed.

At the same moment, dozens of li away in a different forest, two men carried a stretcher while one led a horse. They were moving swiftly along a waterway that cut through the woods. On the stretcher lay Ning Yi. Su Tan'er walked beside him, fanning him to ward off the heat. Guard Geng, leading the horse, repeatedly urged pregnant Su Tan'er to ride, but she silently shook her head in refusal.

They had stayed longer at the camp behind the main group that morning and afternoon, and had been left behind.

For them, it had been a morning of complex emotions. The news of Su Tan'er's pregnancy was confirmed, followed by the news of Ning Yi's infected wound, leaving everyone feeling utterly helpless. Such injuries were common with battlefield knife wounds, with a mortality rate exceeding fifty percent in those times. Even seasoned soldiers often couldn't survive such wounds, let alone Ning Yi, who was in the midst of a desperate flight and had no time for rest.

Normally, with Ning Yi present, the family had a steadfast pillar of support. Even when he had told Juan'er that morning how perilous the situation was, Juan'er and the others hadn't worried excessively, for their son-in-law was truly formidable, seemingly capable of anything. However, this sudden turn of events left even Su Tan'er momentarily stunned, unsure what to do. But it was Ning Yi himself who, moments after learning of his condition, calmly gave instructions.

He told the treating physician to prepare medicine and to operate: incise the wound, scrape away the dead tissue. He told his family to prepare alcohol, needles, and thread. In fact, for wound infections in the absence of penicillin, traditional Chinese medicine was not entirely without remedies; some medicines and methods could offer a certain degree of efficacy. There were, after all, doctors among the refugees who carried medicinal herbs. Through Qian Haiping, the necessary drugs were collected and boiled on the spot. Ning Yi also had the doctor perform a second wound treatment, disinfection, and suturing—tasks he feared the doctor might not be proficient in. He even had Su Tan'er and a few maids wait beside him. In truth, he didn't see who ultimately stitched his wound; without anesthetic, he gave up resisting halfway through the procedure and let himself pass out.

Because of the wound treatment, they couldn't rejoin the main group when it departed. But Su Tan'er had regained her decisiveness. She only kept three guards and two horses, one for the doctor who treated Ning Yi, so he could quickly catch up with the group. She firmly insisted that even Chan'er, Juan'er, and Xing'er go ahead with the main column. Knowing she was pregnant seemed to double her resolve, and no one else in the household could argue. Thus, after his wound was treated, the medicine brewed, and some force-fed to the unconscious Ning Yi, they set off, carrying him on a stretcher. Due to the heat, Su Tan'er continued to fan Ning Yi throughout the journey.

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the gaps in the trees. A gentle breeze began to blow, and cicadas chirped along the way. The Su family's guards were, after all, of better quality than ordinary soldiers, and two of them carried the stretcher swiftly. Feeling the cool breeze, Guard Geng again tried to persuade Su Tan'er to ride. She shook her head. "It's fine." She paused, then, perhaps thinking of something, added, "Fang La's men won't catch up this fast..."

"But... Young Mistress... you have a child in your belly. Think of the young master, he wouldn't want you to..."

"I'd rather not think about this child!" she retorted sharply, turning her head. One hand trembled as she clutched Ning Yi's hand on the stretcher, a hint of tears in her eyes, as she hurried alongside the stretcher. "Right now... I just want him to get better! I'm... I'm not that delicate, Uncle Geng, don't worry..."

"But..."

Before Guard Geng could finish, another voice sounded: "Ah... I know my wife isn't that delicate..."

Ning Yi squeezed Su Tan'er's hand back, slowly opened his eyes on the stretcher, and then took a deep breath. He used a modern term upon waking, but no one at the moment paid it much mind. Everyone was excited. After moving forward for a bit, Ning Yi waved his hand from the stretcher: "Stop... stop for a moment..."

That morning, Juan'er had only thought he had a slight cold, and otherwise, he seemed fine. But his passing out during surgery had naturally startled everyone. Now that he was awake, though he seemed weak at first, he soon yawned and gradually recovered: "That was a good sleep. Thank you all..."

After saying this, Ning Yi walked out of the woods to the nearby river to wash his face. Su Tan'er followed, touching his forehead, which was still hot. Ning Yi drank the remaining important medicine he had carried with him. By the river, he embraced Su Tan'er and put his ear to her lower abdomen. Su Tan'er cried, shaking her head: "It's too early, it's too early, I'm fine."

"I know... This morning, I could have tough it out, but I deliberately passed out to rest and recover my energy. I know you're strong, so now we need to quickly catch up with the group and do some things, alright?" He smiled as he finished speaking, letting out a sigh. "You have my child in your belly. No matter what, I will ensure your safety."

"Are you alright? The doctor said... the doctor said..."

"I'm fine for now. I know what I'm doing, don't worry."

With this reply, he and Su Tan'er mounted the horse. After instructing Guard Geng and the others to follow quickly, they set off in pursuit of the fleeing main group.

Without sufficient living conditions, the mortality rate for infected wounds among soldiers was as high as fifty percent. However, even without penicillin, good nursing care, similar to that provided by a Nightingale medical team, could reduce the possibility of wound infection to less than two percent. Of course, once infected, even with debridement and good care, this did not apply; he would still face a very high threat of mortality. He could only rely on traditional Chinese medicine treatments and his own physical constitution to endure it.

He would still run a fever, and might fall into a coma later. But now was not the time to sit back and wait for death. For now, he could still do some things, at least to minimize the mortality rate from the looming conflict.

He hadn't truly cared about children before, but now, he cared even more deeply for his wife and these family members. No matter what it took, he had to get them back safely!

The horse galloped out of the woods at a moderate pace, mindful of the pregnant woman, chasing after the fleeing group ahead.

In the afternoon, Chen Xingdu rode up a slope, opened a map, and looked down at the winding column of people, awaiting the return of his scouts. He was thirty-four this year, still young, and did not appear particularly imposing. He was not the highest-ranking general in the Wude Battalion, not even a deputy. In the past, his position was neither high nor low, and he was not adept at social maneuvering, lacking any overt charisma or natural leadership. Now, by a strange turn of fate, he had become the military commander of this scattered group of nearly ten thousand people. It was an immense pressure for him, but he also understood it was a tremendous opportunity.

The Wude Battalion had collapsed defending Hangzhou in less than half a month. When the reckoning came after autumn, all generals from high to mid-level would be purged, and he was among them. However, this current group comprised nearly half of Hangzhou's wealthy and influential citizens. If he could lead them to safety and earn their gratitude, he might not immediately become a commander-in-chief, but a deputy commander-in-chief position was certainly assured, promising limitless prospects. The problem, however, was that this group would undoubtedly become a prime target for Fang La's army. On the road to Huzhou and Jiaxing, bandits were still causing trouble. With no escape route ahead and pursuers behind, he didn't know how to proceed; he was not skilled in such matters.

A group of far-ranging scouts had returned not long ago, reporting that several detachments of Fang La's army had begun moving north, possibly targeting Huzhou. The scouts had witnessed one such army massacring a group of fleeing residents along the way, leaving virtually no survivors. The rebel troops had plundered easily portable valuables and continued their advance, seemingly searching for different escape trails along the way. For the past two days, everyone had analyzed that Fang La would aim directly for Jiaxing, but now several armies were heading towards Huzhou, leaving Chen Xingdu momentarily bewildered.

"General Chen." The respectful voice came from beside him. It was Qian Haiping of the Qian family, also on horseback. Chen Xingdu bowed slightly. "Brother Qian, you flatter me. I am no general. Oh, Mr. Qian, you mentioned earlier going to persuade those people to donate some valuables as a diversion tactic. How did that discussion go?"

Such a large column, moving majestically forward, left a great deal of information, and occasionally, people would even fall behind. Qian Haiping had speculated that Fang La's army would undoubtedly track groups carrying more wealth, so he wanted to persuade the wealthy families in the group to donate some of their cumbersome possessions. However, it seemed there hadn't been much success.

"Although everyone agreed for a moment, they then argued incessantly over each family's share. It's truly… sigh. Faced with such a crisis, these people are still so short-sighted. A large portion of them were originally persuaded by Liheng to leave the city together. It's a pity Liheng isn't here now; otherwise, it might have been easier to resolve. As it is... we should have a result later."

Chen Xingdu nodded, considering the intelligence brought back by the scouts. "That Young Master Ning once said Fang La would take Jiaxing, but now it seems they are taking Huzhou... If that's the case, we're on a dead-end path. Not far ahead, Qingfeng Stronghold and Xiaoluo Town are reportedly occupied by rebel bandits, but we can hardly take a longer detour now..."

Qian Haiping pondered. "They're plundering valuables, so leisurely... No, that's not right. If they were truly heading for Huzhou, they would be led by a major general from Fang La's army; they wouldn't be this scattered, detachment by detachment. They genuinely intend to take Jiaxing. These few detachments must be intended to harass Huzhou and prevent its relief efforts! And after the right to plunder Hangzhou was divided, these people who were released were meant to both cause chaos and track us. We're in trouble now. Where else can we turn? They're taking Jiaxing and creating chaos in Huzhou; we need to head further northwest..."

"Where can we go further northwest now? If we turn again, we might be surrounded by Fang La's bandits rushing in from all sides..."

"We must discuss this immediately."

Naturally, there were many capable advisors present. As Qian Haiping spoke, he turned to call them over. Chen Xingdu nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Qian. By the way, where are Young Master Ning and his wife?"

"He sustained minor injuries in Taiping Alley after fighting Shi Bao, Liu Dabiaozi, and others. But this morning, his wound suppurated, and the infection spread internally. Although the doctor treated him, he was left behind this morning. Alas..."

Chen Xingdu was slightly stunned. "Actually, I didn't pay close attention when Mr. Qian introduced them earlier. Young Master Ning and his wife are only in their early twenties. Could it be true... that they directly confronted Shi Bao and Liu Dabiaozi?"

Qian Haiping thought for a moment. "I didn't believe it either at first, but... if the city could have held out for two more days, perhaps those people would have been caught in one fell swoop. We actually believed Fang Qifo was also in the city. The confrontation between Ning Liheng and Shi Bao was real. On that day, even Shi Bao nearly died at his hands. As far as I know, a rebel leader named Gou Zheng was killed by him on the spot. The others are still unconfirmed... There was no time then..."

"...Oh." Chen Xingdu thought for a long while before nodding to indicate he understood. Just as Qian Haiping raised his reins to move forward, he squinted, looking towards the rear of the column. A galloping horse cut through the crowd and sped forward, seeing the few people on the slope. Upon reaching them, Ning Yi and his wife bowed from horseback. Seeing Ning Yi return, Qian Haiping was quite pleased. Chen Xingdu also observed the couple more seriously. In the chaotic days before, he had not paid much attention to such young people; even if Ning Yi proposed ideas or conjectures, they were only accepted after discussions among others.

Of course, this was not the time for pleasantries or expressions of honor. Qian Haiping went to call others, while Chen Xingdu briefly explained the current situation. In fact, traveling directly from Hangzhou to Huzhou or Jiaxing was only a little over one hundred and fifty li. But the waterways of Jiangnan made it very easy for their path to be blocked. Without boats, they could only cross rivers at specific bridges. Now, with bandits blocking the way ahead and Fang La's army catching up from behind, their group's slow pace meant the room for maneuver was shrinking rapidly.

They didn't expect Ning Yi to single-handedly change this situation, but they now regarded him with much greater importance and could explain the situation to him more clearly. Ning Yi frowned, and after a long moment, he cautiously addressed Chen Xingdu.

"I would like... to ask General Chen to arrange for a few veteran soldiers or scouts familiar with the situation in Fang La's army. I have some questions I wish to ask them. Additionally, I need maps of the nearby area and a few people who are truly familiar with the local terrain. Perhaps..."

He paused slightly. "Perhaps I can make the situation a little better..." He was still running a fever, and his condition was worsening. His voice was not loud, but low and calm as he spoke these words plainly. Chen Xingdu looked at him for a moment, then nodded.

Su Tan'er sat in front of Ning Yi, her head bowed, holding his injured arm, utterly quiet. The sunlight streamed down, somewhat dazzling...