Tiger Guards

Chapter 123 Confusion of black and white

"Aji, why is there a fire in the city?"

The migrating convoy was walking on Ximen Street. Zhao Xing looked at the soldiers holding torches and putting out fires in the streets to the south. These troops made her feel uneasy.

Zhao Ji rode his horse alongside the carriage and glanced over his shoulder at the entrance of the alley. He saw several guards holding torches approaching him, so he reined in his horse. "It's dry weather, so fires are normal. Sisters, you two go ahead. I'll ask about the situation."

"Then be careful."

Zhao Xing gave an instruction and reached out to grab the railing of the carriage. He saw Zhao Ji turn his horse around and walk over. Dozens of knights followed him and left the team, dismounting one after another.

Zhao Ji was also afraid that the horse would be frightened, so he jumped off and asked, "How did the fire start? What are the casualties?"

"Replying to Minister, according to the officials, the fire started in the kitchen, and sparks must have ignited the firewood."

The one stationed at the entrance of the alley was a commander of a hundred men from the Tiger Infantry Army, who was also the Minister of the Tiger Guards. Previously, he was only a squad leader among the Tiger Guards.

His face was blackened by smoke and flames. "Only a few people were burned while fighting the fire, which initially spread uncontrollably. The criminal official Dong Zhao was drunk and seriously injured; the assistant minister Zhong Yuanchang called for help in time and was rescued."

"Lead the way, I'll go check on the wounded."

"Here!"

The man led the way, and in a nearby courtyard, Zhao Ji saw the wounded who were placed there. There were only a dozen or so palace guards whose hands and arms were burned and they were applying grease.

The officials were about to stand up, but Zhao Ji waved his hand hastily: "Sit down, don't move, and focus on healing your wounds."

The Huben Assistant Minister continued to lead the way, with Zhao Ji's face gloomy.

Walking along the corridor into the living room, I saw Dong Zhao lying on a straw mat on the ground. His hair was burnt, leaving only a clump near his scalp. He was not dead yet and still had symptoms of breathing.

Zhao Ji took a torch and used it to shine on Dong Zhao's face. Dong Zhao was disfigured and in a deep coma, and he showed no reaction to the torch being held close to him.

Tang Xian, who had followed Zhao Ji in, poked Dong Zhao's equally burnt foot with his foot, but there was no reaction. Tang Xian said, "It's beyond the ability of even the gods to save him."

"It's really hateful! I just set Zhong Yuanchang's bones and rescued Dong Gongren from prison, and I didn't expect it to be burned like this. Where is Zhong Yuanchang?"

"In the inner chamber, when Yuan Changgong was being rescued, his leg injury was injured and he fainted."

As the Tiger Guards Minister was narrating, Dong Fen emerged from the inner chamber and bowed to Zhao Ji, "Sir, Yuan Chang's bone has been broken again. Please set it for him."

"Let me consider."

The black gauze Jinxian crown on Dong Fen's head was burned, and the black official uniform on his body was also severely burned, with the long sleeves gone, and his palms were wrapped with fine linen.

When Zhao Ji entered the inner room, he saw Zhong Yao's right leg twisted, a piece of wood in his mouth, and he had fainted with his head tilted to the side.

There were also two more seriously injured eunuchs lying on their backs on the straw mats.

Zhao Ji approached and patted Zhong Yao's cheek. Seeing that he didn't respond, he said to the person behind him, "Come here, some people, help him steady his upper body."

Two Tiger Guards came up and pressed down on Zhong Yao's waist and abdomen. Zhao Ji grabbed Zhong Yao's right calf, tried to find the feel, and connected the bone fork.

He frowned and said, "Mr. Yuan Chang's injured leg is his left leg, how come his right leg is also broken?"

Dong Fen stepped forward to explain: "Maybe we were in such a hurry to save him that we accidentally stepped on him."

Zhao Ji was very satisfied with this answer and said, "Fortunately, his left leg is fine and can recover with rest. However, there are broken bones in his right leg, so it will definitely be swollen. Let's wait until he wakes up. If he agrees, I will perform surgery to remove the broken bones. This will help him recover better and won't affect his walking."

As for things like infection, it depends on personal opinion.

With such good material, Zhao Ji didn't mind giving it his all and doing the operation as well as possible.

If the operation fails, then amputation will be performed.

Not long after, Zhao Ji wrapped Zhong Yao's right leg with freshly peeled bark to fix it.

After finishing these tasks, he went outside to wash his hands and said to Dong Fen, who had followed him, "How could you be so negligent? A few days ago, the Zong rebels and the old Baibo army set a fire when they fled, and the fire spread so fast that it was almost impossible to control it. There are still Zong rebels in the city who are dissatisfied with the court. This must be their doing. Tomorrow I will host a banquet for the surrounding powerful people and warn them. I will also send the Tiger Infantry to guard this place to prevent further unrest."

"Here."

Dong Fen had thousands of words in her heart, but at this moment they could only be condensed into one word.

After washing his hands, Zhao Ji said, "You are the only imperial censor. Go and report to the emperor that the fire has been contained and the wounded have been properly treated, so that the emperor will not worry."

"Well, I'll go right away."

Dong Fen bowed deeply, and when she saw that Zhao Ji had no further instructions, she left immediately.

Zhao Ji then looked at the Tiger Guards Minister beside him and said, "When we return to camp, tell Xu Gongming to have the Hedong knights strictly enforce night patrols to prevent the bandits from setting fires again. Especially around the Emperor's Palace, we must not let anything go unnoticed."

As he spoke, Zhao Ji took out the golden seal of the Minister of the Interior that Old Man Zhao had given him during the meal. The golden seal was easy to cast and carve.

After taking the ink, he stamped the seal of "Shizhong Zhao Ji" on a palm-sized piece of silk book as a proof and let the Tiger Guard Minister take it.

After finishing all this, Zhao Ji led his men through the alley and returned to Zhao Yan's residence. Seeing him approaching, two yellow dogs jumped out of the door and jumped around him happily.

Zhao Ji smiled and stretched out his hand to tease. His reaction was so quick now that the two yellow dogs could not catch up with his hand speed.

He walked up the stone steps with a heavy and steady step and saw a mounted slave carrying a package. He asked, "Where is Lord Zhao?"

"Master, the emperor has sent an envoy to summon you, and Lord Zhao has gone to the palace."

A sergeant on horseback replied, pointing to a small courtyard: "Lord Zhao has arranged for the young lady to live here, and he said he will hire a maid tomorrow."

"Well, you guys should get some rest. You will come back to the camp with me later."

"Here!"

The sergeant agreed, and Zhao Ji led the two dogs into the courtyard. Han Shu wanted to follow them in, but felt it was inappropriate, so he stood at the door.

The vegetable garden in the yard may have been trampled during the turmoil in the past few days and is in a mess.

Zhao Ji went straight into the house, and the two dogs went to play in the vegetable garden.

Two oil lamps were burning in the room. Zhao Ji saw Pei Xiu's mother sitting on a low couch in the front hall, packing her bags, so he bowed and said, "Third Aunt."

"Ashu is cleaning inside, go see her."

"Yes."

Zhao Ji lowered his head and walked into the dormitory, only to see Alan spreading a straw mat on the kang while his sister was sweeping the floor.

Zhao Xing put down the thin bamboo broom, took Zhao Ji's hand and sat down beside the kang: "How is the fire?"

"If you burn a criminal official, you won't survive until tomorrow."

Zhao Ji untied a bag of dried meat from his waist and handed it to Zhao Xing: "Alan, you come and eat too. What do you think of my great-grandfather?"

"It's quite harmonious, not like what they say."

Zhao Xing pinched Alan's calf, and Alan turned around diligently, sitting sideways on the kang, not daring to look up.

Zhao Ji leaned back and slept on the straw mat on the kang. "Grandfather Zhong looks down on them and won't be friendly to them. Sister, you can stay here for the next few days and take care of Third Aunt and Grandfather Zhong together with Alan. Seventh brother will also come to Anyi in a few days. If he doesn't object, Third Aunt will live here from now on."

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Where is my nephew?"

"Mother asked my eldest brother to come and invite her. Mother-in-law took Aduo to the county town."

Zhao Xing shared the cut meat with Alan and asked, "Why are you so foolish as to give up your title to Mother? My eldest brother is almost mad with rage. I see his arm is bruised, and I'm sure my eldest sister-in-law won't be happy either."

"My great-grandfather wants me to be adopted, but I want to leave with a clean record."

Zhao Ji didn't want to deal with all the questions, so he asked, "Where are my brother-in-law and Abao?"

"They went to the military camp, and so did you. Are you going to offer so much silk and gold to the court so easily?"

Zhao Xing lowered his voice and asked, "How much did you share privately?"

"The north was given thirty horses, and I gave them all away. There's not much left in Anyi either. We'll have to wait a few days for Jia Kui to arrive to calculate. My bottom line is three hundred pieces of music. Gold and silk and the like are of no use."

Zhao Ji stood up and chewed a piece of meat. "Talent is the most valuable. Stay away for the next few days. In a few days, you and Alan will go to the palace. I have recognized a sister. Bring some gifts to see her. She is a noble lady now. If the emperor knows what's good for her, she will be promoted to a noble concubine in a few days."

Zhao Xing pointed at Alan and asked, "What will happen to Alan in the future?"

"She won't be short of food at home. My brother-in-law is staying in the barracks. Does he want to join the army?"

"Well, he can't stand seeing Abao get along well. If you want to join the army, go ahead. Even if you die, it's better."

Zhao Xing said this, and it was not the first time he cursed like this.

Zhao Ji didn't take it seriously. He glanced at Alan, who had been burying his head, and smiled, "That's it. I'll go into the city to have dinner tomorrow night. Bring some extra people, maybe fifty or sixty."

He was somewhat reluctant to leave, and he felt a sense of peace only when he stayed here.

He reached out and pinched Alan's cheek, which was buried deep in his chest. There was not much flesh on his cheek, so he pinched his ear, then turned around and strode away.

I hadn't taken three steps when I bumped into the low dormitory door frame. Fortunately, I was wearing a helmet.

It was loud, but not painful.

Zhao Xing was about to tell him to be careful, but he couldn't help but smile when he saw this.

Even Alan turned his head to look, and saw Zhao Ji pretending nothing had happened and walked out with his head down.

When I heard the two yellow dogs barking again, I knew that Aji had gone far away.

(End of this chapter)