Xie Ming

On the evening of the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, after all military affairs had been properly arranged and he was repeatedly instructed to be cautious in defense, Xiao Lang led a garrison, with Chang Ting accompanying him, and braved the snow to return to Zhongnan Mountain.

During the reign of Emperor Shaotong, in the twelfth lunar month, both the north and south were freezing cold.

Even in the heart of Jiangnan, it is rare to see continuous snow and howling north winds.

On this journey, we galloped through the starry night, our hooves shattering the jade-like peaks, our fur coats stained with countless stars.

A gust of wind swept southward, piercing the cold night like lightning, as flying snow swept away the remaining clouds.

They must be eager to return home.

The north wind urges the riders on their journey, as they tread through the snow on a snowy night.

Oblivious to the biting cold, all I felt was how long the road was.

They traveled for a day and a night without stopping to rest.

They traveled until late afternoon on the 27th, when the group finally managed to get tired and drive their horses into the city gate.

At the seventh quarter of Shen time, he dismounted in front of the gate of his own residence.

Without saying a word, he gripped the whip without even noticing, and strode quickly through the door and into the front hall.

Just then, the old monk Yao Zuyin arrived. He was blind and standing under the eaves in front of the corridor. Hearing the noise outside, he stood up and, judging from his posture, it seemed that someone had been waiting for him for some time.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Jingchuan immediately stepped forward to greet him and began to speak.

"Master, it's chilly outside, you shouldn't stay here too long."

"Is the fireplace in the living room lit?"

"Quick, let me help you over so we can talk."

Taking two quick steps and talking, Xiao Jingchuan reached the old monk, bowed, grabbed his left sleeve, and respectfully carried it down into the hall.

Upon seeing Xiao, who hadn't seen him for two months, Yao Zuyin was visibly delighted.

"Hoo Hoo Hoo"

"You're back?" Ci Yan smiled, unable to hide her joy.

"Ah, yes."

"Just a few days ago, Uncle Xue sent his servant to deliver a message."

"I know that Xiao'e and her child have both contracted a cold."

"It sounds serious; it's hard to feel at ease after hearing that."

On the contrary, when General Xiao spoke of this matter, his brows furrowed, his heart filled with anxiety, and his tone became increasingly irritable.

"Yes, yes."

"It's time to come back."

"Is the north side still safe?"

The old monk was concerned about the war situation in the north and feared that he might be involved in any unforeseen events, hence his many questions.

"Alas, it's now the twelfth lunar month, and the weather is freezing cold. I doubt the northern regions will dare to launch a military campaign again."

"The two sides are stuck in a stalemate."

"If that weren't the case, I'm afraid it would be difficult for them to turn back so quickly."

Xiao Yan spoke with a bitter expression, and as they spoke, the two of them had already stepped into the hall.

Yao Zuyin took the opportunity to reach out and rub the table for a while, then grabbed the corner of the table and sat down with difficulty, leaning on his cane.

"Yes, that's right, that makes sense."

"Alright, alright, stop arguing with this old man."

"If you have something to say, we can follow up later."

"They braved the wind and snow to come here."

"Quick, let's go check in the back."

Knowing that Xiao Lang was worried about Xiao E's situation, he knew it was bad to step in and block her way.

Yao Zuyin, being sensible, waited until he was seated and then hurriedly pulled Xiao Chuan towards the inner courtyard.

"That girl Xiao'e is so delicate. Women don't have much time left after giving birth."

"He had a fever for three whole days. I'm worried that it might leave him with some kind of chronic illness, which would be bad for him in the future."

"Go, you go, don't worry about me."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchuan was indeed worried and didn't stop for a moment, unable to put his mind at ease.

Since the old monk was kind and knowledgeable, he no longer held back.

"Uh, sigh."

"Please sit down, Master, and let me take a look around."

After saying that, he took a few quick steps and hurriedly darted backward.

After passing through the second hall, we went to the main house in the back courtyard.

He looked anxious, so without informing anyone, he leaped over the cotton curtain and yanked it open, rushing inside.

But little did they know that the master outside had returned at that moment.
Just then, Hongyu was carrying a basin of water and squeezing her way out.

Xiao and Hong bumped right into each other. Hongyu's slender arms and wrists couldn't withstand the force, and the basin fell to the ground, splashing water all over them.

"Hey, who is it?"

In an instant, with a displeased look, Qiao Hongyu glared at the person who had come and was about to hurl insults at them.

But when they looked up, their hearts were filled with anticipation, for it was the Duke himself who had appeared before them.

The woman's face changed color, and after a long while, she stammered before replying in a trembling voice.

"Master, you, you're finally back."

Overjoyed, excited, and filled with the anxiety of the past few days, Hongyu's eyes were red-rimmed, and her whole body froze.

We waited and waited, and finally he came back. But now that he's actually standing right in front of us, we don't know what to do.

Xiao Lang was the first to recover from his shock, stepping in, patting Hongyu's shoulder, and leading her inside.

"how?"

Is Xiao'e still burning up?

With his wife's condition a major concern, Xiao Jingchuan had no other options at the moment.

Upon hearing this, Hongyu was stunned, and quickly composed herself, replying in a hoarse voice.

"ah yes"

"The fever has subsided; it subsided last night."

"I just took some medicine and woke up once."

"My body is still extremely weak."

"Compared to a couple of days ago, it seems to have improved quite a bit."

Hongyu answered earnestly and meticulously.

The color was perfect, and her heart was pounding. Xiao Lang was about to arrive and would seize Hongyu to ask her more detailed questions.

"Hmm, which doctor did you use?"

As he spoke, he sat on the edge of the bed and tucked the corner of the blanket in even more tightly.

Despite the loud noise, Xiao'e didn't seem to wake up.

Looking at it this way, how could Xiao Xin let go?
"Ah, it was Uncle Xue who invited one."

"Not long after, Mr. Qiu arrived."

"He later found someone for him."

"They said he was an imperial physician, but he doesn't look like one to me."

"But no matter what, once the pulse is taken and the medicine is prescribed, the illness can be cured."

"The past two days were very dangerous, but now it's much better."

Hongyu reminisces about everyday life with Xiao, their close bond going without saying.

"Oh?"

"Feiyu has been here?"

Xiao Xuxun's eyes, however, remained fixed on Xiao'e's face.

The young wife's face was pale and her lips were bloodless; how could one not feel sorry for her?
"Ah, I've been here before."

“He’s been coming every day these past few days.”

"It helped me a lot in finding doctors and getting medicine."

"This man was law-abiding and, when faced with trouble, he truly acted like a well-mannered and knowledgeable gentleman."

“Every time he came back, he would just say that it was not good for men to walk in the back, and he would sit with old man Yao in the front hall.”

"We'll take care of anything you need or lack."

Hongyu rarely praised anyone, and usually, with her willful nature, she never gave Zhizhong a kind look.

This time, we really encountered a crisis, proving that true friendship is revealed in times of adversity.

It seems that Zhizhong has been quite worried about things.

Thinking of these things, Xiao Lang felt a warmth in his heart, which was somewhat comforting.

"Yes, Feiyu is one of our own brothers, so there's nothing to say."

"Yes, after the doctor examines you, what's the procedure?"

"Why is this the case?"

"How could such a terrible situation have suddenly arisen?"

I'm still worried and won't be able to settle things until I get to the bottom of it.

"Sigh, it's nothing more than some kind of typhoid fever."

"They said the onset was rapid, with chills and a persistent high fever."

“In winter, the cold air is heavy and can penetrate the body. It can cause stagnation and heat, which is why it is like this.”

Hongyu sat down on a small stool nearby, hurrying to speak, her eyes fixed on Xiao Lang's appearance, unwilling to let go of his gaze. (End of Chapter)