Ya She

Chapter 47 Qu Lu Spear

Lu Zigang played with the jade material in his left palm. After pondering for a moment, he picked up a brush and drew withered leaves on the jade material. The leaves were drawn on the yellowish-brown skin of the Hetian jade pebble. Although it was only a few strokes, the desolate feeling of autumn immediately filled the entire piece of jade.

After finishing the painting of the withered leaves, Lu Zigang paused for a moment, lifting his brush several times and then putting it down again, but ultimately did not finish.

He instinctively picked up the scimitar beside him, aimed it at the jade in his hand, and with a slight force, the tip of the scimitar cut through the jade as easily as cutting tofu.

For thousands of years, jade carvers have used a tool commonly known as a grinding wheel. The grinding wheel is a round, flat object that, when rotated, uses uniform friction to carve jade. Although the method of driving the grinding wheel has improved from manual to electric over thousands of years, jade carvers still use grinding wheels of various sizes to carve jade, except for Lu Zigang.

Because he lacked a rolling mill for cutting stone, his jade carving tools could only be used to carve small pieces of jade, but they were more exquisite.

In this life, he had not learned any carving skills, but since his memories of his previous life returned, as long as he held the carving knife, his whole body seemed to have its own consciousness. At first, he was a little rusty, but after studying dozens of pieces of jade, his feel for it became better and better. In fact, he would feel uncomfortable all over if he did not hold a piece of jade in his palm at all times.

Withered, curled leaves appeared one by one under the carving knife. Lu Zigang didn't even make a draft and continued carving entirely by feeling.

Inside the Silent House, the Changxin Palace Lantern flickered and danced, yet it was unusually bright, not hindering Lu Zigang's vision at all. Soon, beneath the falling withered leaves, a corner of an ancient building appeared, with a long beaded curtain hanging down. Beneath the curtain, a fair and slender hand was visible, stroking the railing with infinite melancholy. A few wisps of frost seemed to hang on the beaded curtain.

Although it's just a silhouette of a hand, it still captivates the viewer, making them eager to lift the beaded curtain and see just how stunning the beauty hidden behind it is.

Lu Zigang wiped away the debris from the jade, stared at it for a long time, and then turned the jade over and carved Wang Changling's poem "Autumn Song of Changxin Palace": "The paulownia leaves by the golden well are yellow in autumn, the beaded curtain is not rolled up and frost comes at night. The incense burner and jade pillow have lost their color, I lie listening to the long, clear drip of the water clock in the Southern Palace."

The knife was extremely sharp, but Lu Zigang wrote these twenty-eight characters in a graceful and elegant style, with a lingering and lingering quality. He then habitually added his signature, "Zigang," at the end.

Lu Zigang stared blankly at the newly carved jade piece for a long time. The jade piece had not been polished after being carved, but under the yellow light, it reflected a kind of vicissitude and obscurity.

With a self-deprecating laugh, Lu Zigang tossed the jade piece into the bamboo basket under the counter, hearing a crisp clinking sound. The basket was already more than half full of unpolished, semi-finished jade pieces, all practice pieces Lu Zigang had been using to hone his skills these past few days. If anyone saw them, they would be immediately impressed, and might even comment that the jade carver had done a very good job of imitating Zigang's style.

After washing his hands, cleaning and wiping the counter to remove the jade dust, and cleaning the razor blade and putting it in his pocket, Lu Zigang picked up the longevity lock on the brocade cloth, closed his eyes and stroked the patterns on it, then leaned back in his chair and pretended to doze off.

I don't know how much time passed, until the doctor pushed open the door with dinner. The aroma of the steamed buns mixed with the smell of hospital disinfectant, along with the cool autumn breeze, wafted through the incense in the Ya She restaurant and hit me.

"Is it today this month? We still have some time, let's finish eating quickly and then hit the road."

The doctor deftly opened the lunchbox, skillfully found his usual chopsticks from the counter of the restaurant, picked up a steamed bun, and started eating.

Is it really appropriate to use "on the road" here? Lu Zigang's forehead twitched twice, but he didn't criticize the doctor's unrestrained words. After putting the longevity lock around his neck, he silently ate all the steamed buns in his box.

Both of them moved quickly. After the doctor took the lunchbox out to throw it away, he raised his hand to look at his watch and said, "Do we have to wait a little longer before we can leave? Can I get some more sleep? I've been standing for more than eight hours today during this surgery. I'm exhausted."

As the doctor spoke, he sprawled unceremoniously on the rosewood recliner. Lu Zigang said in a deep voice, "We can't sleep anymore. We need to change clothes when we get back." With that, he got up and walked towards the inner room of the Silent House. A moment later, he returned with two sets of clothes and two wigs.

"Oh ho! Want to cosplay? No need, right? We only stay for a short while each time we time travel, why bother changing clothes? Besides, isn't our goal to go back a few months? How can you be so sure we've gone back hundreds of years or even longer this time?"

The doctor grumbled, but did not refuse the suggestion to change clothes. Instead, he enthusiastically took off his casual clothes and, under Lu Zigang's guidance, put on a wide, long blue cloth robe.

"Even if it's a short time, I have to do it perfectly. I don't want to be looked at like a crazy monster on the street," Lu Zigang complained, half-jokingly.

The doctor was completely unaware of why Lu Zigang had predicted so accurately which era they would travel to this time, since the clothing was different in each era, and the clothes Lu Zigang had given him were clearly from the mid-Ming Dynasty. The doctor only vaguely felt something was strange, but before he could think about it further, he heard familiar bird calls and sounds of fighting coming from the inner room of the Silent House.

"Sanqing and Minghong are fighting again?" The doctor winced in distress, but showed no intention of rushing in to support his Sanqing. What a joke! That was a battle between two divine birds; if a mortal like him rushed in, he'd be doomed. "Where's Huhai? Isn't he coming to take his bird back?"

"I don't know either." Lu Zigang put on the wig on his head. He hadn't appeared since Hu Hai said that they would use the Luoshu Nine Star Compass together next time.

Minghong flew to the Silent House a month ago looking lost and disoriented, clearly having gotten separated from its owner. Lu Zigang wasn't a god, and didn't have Hu Hai's contact information, so he had no choice but to take care of Minghong. As for its willingness to fight with Sanqing, he specially prepared a separate room for the two of them, leaving nothing in the room so they could fight as much as they wanted.

The doctor was initially very worried, but later found that Sanqing and Minghong were evenly matched, and at most each lost a few feathers, so he was no longer surprised. He even had the leisure to collect their feathers and make a few bird feather shuttlecocks with the copper coins in the mute shop.

With Lu Zigang's help, the doctor put on a wig, a square headscarf, and removed his glasses. Looking in the mirror, he did indeed have a scholarly air about him. He took a few selfies and posted them on his WeChat Moments to show off. Only then did the doctor notice Lu Zigang staring blankly at the compass: "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the compass?"

"It's nothing." Lu Zigang took a deep breath and silently adjusted the compass a few notches.

The doctor, unsuspecting, tossed the phone aside, knowing that technological devices would become unusable after time travel due to magnetic fields. Otherwise, he'd really like to take the phone to ancient times to take some photos as souvenirs. As usual, the doctor silently grumbled as he placed his hand and Lu Zigang's hand on the compass.

After a familiar wave of dizziness, the doctor first smelled an indescribably fresh scent of herbs, instantly revitalizing his lungs, which had been polluted by the city's smog.

Before he could even open his eyes and figure out where he was, he felt a powerful force strike his knees. He lost his balance and fell into the grass. His back was roughly pressed against a knife blade, and the wig he had just put on was ripped off, revealing his short hair.

The doctor struggled to open his eyes in the grass, and unsurprisingly found that Lu Zigang had met a similar fate, captured by several fully armed ancient soldiers. The compass in Lu Zigang's hand had fallen to the ground and been confiscated by one of the soldiers. The doctor was distraught; if they couldn't retrieve the compass, would they never be able to return?

Just then, the doctor heard the soldier holding her shout, "Reporting, Madam! Two Japanese spies have been captured!"

As soon as the roar was uttered, the doctor felt a dark shadow block out the sun and loom over his head.

He strained to lift his head and saw a valiant woman in military uniform, holding a spear with a red tassel, looking down at them with sharp eyes.

The doctor rubbed his knee, which had been bruised, as he listened to Lu Zigang explaining their origins to the woman in military uniform. Lu Zigang's tone and manner of speaking were somewhat different from modern Mandarin, as if he had a strange accent, but the doctor could still understand him to some extent. He just hadn't expected him to speak so fluently.

Unlike the previous times, they didn't appear in a bustling town, but in a desolate wilderness, where banners could be seen waving in the distance and the salty smell of the sea breeze could be smelled.

Unable to determine what era he had arrived in, the doctor turned his attention to the young woman talking to Lu Zigang.

The woman looked to be in her early twenties, with almond-shaped eyes, fair skin, and beautiful features. She was over 1.7 meters tall, and her black military uniform accentuated her slender figure. If she were in modern times, she would definitely be a popular model or star. Even without makeup, her beauty was undeniable.

The doctor wasn't unfamiliar with pretty girls, but he couldn't help but glance at this young woman who was the leader of a squad of soldiers.

The surrounding soldiers immediately glared at the doctor, and someone quickly blocked his view with their body. The doctor hurriedly raised his hands to indicate that he meant no harm.

Wang Ying also heard the commotion over there, but she only lifted her eyelids slightly and didn't pay any attention.

These two people of unknown origin should, according to custom, have been thrown into prison and severely tortured. However, she noticed that their hands were thin and weak, and that one of them spoke fluent Mandarin from the capital region, talking about the sights and sounds of the capital with great ease. He also claimed to be from Suzhou and spoke the soft Wu dialect of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region with remarkable fluency. Therefore, she lowered her guard somewhat.

However, Wang Ying didn't believe them. The pirates in the coastal waters weren't all Japanese. Since the imperial court abolished the tributary trade and implemented the maritime ban, many Chinese willingly impersonated pirates, engaging in maritime trade and amassing their own armies. To put it bluntly, they were just another form of bandits, now operating in a different territory. The imperial court, however, preferred to deceive itself, continuing to use the general term "Japanese pirates."

But when Wang Ying saw the man's short hair, she curled her lip, having never heard of any Japanese pirates having the habit of shaving their heads.

Just then, another group of soldiers jogged over and respectfully saluted Wang Ying, saying, "Madam, the general requests your presence."

Wang Ying lowered her eyebrows slightly, but said nothing more. She pointed at Lu Zigang and the doctor and said, "Take them away."

Although the suspicion that the two men were spies had not been cleared, their treatment was much better than before. Lu Zigang claimed that the compass was used by them to find auspicious burial sites, and no one made things difficult for him, so they put the compass back in his hands.

Seeing this, the doctor quickly asked in a low voice, "How are you? When can we go back?"

As Lu Zigang walked, he looked down at the compass. After a while, he smiled wryly and said, "It's probably because I just fell. The compass needle is moving backward a bit slowly. We might have to stay here for a while."

"We're going to stay here for a while? What dynasty is this? Where is this place? Why are women leading troops? They don't look like Mulan or the female generals of the Yang family!"

When the doctor heard that the compass was still useful, but that he would have to stay for a while longer, he wasn't too worried and instead became curious about the era they lived in.

"Look at these soldiers' clothes: knee-length, narrow sleeves, padded with cotton, and red in color, hence the name 'red fat jacket.' This is typical Ming Dynasty soldier attire. Moreover, since they suspect we are Japanese pirates, it's most likely from the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty. And judging from their accents, this place should be in Shandong." Lu Zigang said so much in one breath, guessing the time and place of their location quite accurately, which made the doctor look at him with admiration.

"Then guess again, who exactly is that woman?"

The doctor gestured with his chin towards the woman in military uniform walking in front of them, refusing to believe that Lu Zigang was so miraculous.

“It’s actually quite easy to guess.” Lu Zigang smiled, “Qi Jiguang and Qi Yuanjing were from the Shandong area. At the age of seventeen, he inherited his father’s position as the Commander of Dengzhou Guard, which is a fourth-rank official position, making him a member of the elite elite. His wife was also a prominent figure in history. Her father was a general, and she was a daughter of a military family. It is said that Lady Qi learned martial arts from a young age and was skilled in wielding weapons. When she got angry, even Qi Yuanjing was no match for her.”

Because people were commenting behind his back, Lu Zigang tried to keep his voice as low as possible, but he could still clearly see that Wang Ying, who was walking in front, slowed down her pace a little.

"That amazing? Are you sure it's her?"

That's Qi Jiguang, the hero who fought against Japanese pirates! Even if General Qi was lenient with his wife, it's still pretty terrifying... The doctor swallowed hard, feeling that it was a miracle that he was still alive and well.

"I just asked around. It's the thirty-third year of the Jiajing reign. Qi Yuanjing is twenty-six years old. He should already be the Vice Commander of Shandong, a third-rank military officer, a powerful regional official. If you see him later, don't rush up to him for an autograph or anything. That would be too embarrassing." Lu Zigang gave him a worried warning, mainly because the doctor was very unreliable.

"Look at what you're saying..." the doctor said sullenly, but then he suddenly paused and said, "During the Jiajing era, the stove... wasn't Lu Zigang from the Jiajing era?"

Lu Zigang's hand holding the compass trembled slightly, then he calmly said, "Ah, in my past life, I should have been executed two years ago."

"What a coincidence..."

The doctor was momentarily at a loss for words, because he had never believed that his past life had anything to do with him, nor did he consider Fusu to be himself. He was very clear about the distinction, and even when he traveled back to the Warring States period, he didn't feel any discomfort or desire to see Fusu from that time again. But Lu Zigang's situation seemed somewhat different from his, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what the difference was.

Perhaps because the doctor and Lu Zigang were too harmless, the soldiers escorting them started chatting as they walked.

They worked under Lady Qi, so naturally they were biased towards her. They said that their general had a fight with Lady Qi, but couldn't beat her, so in a fit of anger he moved to the military camp and hadn't been heard from for several days. They said that inviting Lady Qi to the military camp this time was probably to give her a warning.

Listening to this gossip, the doctor felt his entire worldview shatter. The mighty and powerful Qi Jiguang depicted in history books was actually afraid of his wife? He was even kicked out of his home? And he had to rely on his subordinates for support?

Perhaps they didn't take the two of them seriously, or perhaps they were too eager to join in the fun to remember them, but after walking for half an hour, the doctor and Lu Zigang actually followed them into the military camp, and even into the central command tent.

Inside the central command tent, a vast array of silver armor gleamed. The moment Wang Ying entered, all the generals stood up in unison, unleashing their battle-hardened aura without reservation. The chilling sounds of armor and weapons clashing almost shattered the doctor's eardrums.

He strained to see through the gaps in the crowd to the very center of the main tent, and sure enough, he saw a young man who was over 1.8 meters tall standing there, wearing gleaming silver armor. He looked imposing and powerful, and even raised his sharp saber at Wang Ying.

"What did you call me here for?" Wang Ying's calm and cool voice rang out in the tent, without the slightest hint of timidity, and even with a hint of menacing killing intent.

The doctor's eyes widened. Was this the prelude to domestic violence?
A deathly silence fell over the central command tent, and all eyes were fixed on the young general.

After a moment of silence, the man roared in a powerful voice, "Please...please let the lady review the troops!"

doctor:"……"

The anecdotes about General Qi and his wife once again became the talk of the military camp. They had been observing their relationship for seven or eight years, and no one mocked General Qi for being afraid of his wife. Instead, they all wondered when the couple would clash again, or when General Qi would be able to move back in with his wife.

At first, the doctor couldn't adapt to the relaxed and joking atmosphere at all. Was this a feudal era with strict etiquette? It felt no different from modern times. But whether he adapted or not, he would have to stay for a while.

After confirming with Lu Zigang that even though they had spent a long time in ancient times, returning to the modern world would only be a moment, the doctor felt at ease settling into the military camp. Since they didn't have to do drills and only helped with miscellaneous tasks, the doctor felt like he was on a movie set.

Lu Zigang used the alias Xia Zilu because the name "Lu Zigang" was quite well-known at the time, but the doctor had strong objections to his alias.

"Why did you just call me Doctor? My surname is Yi and my given name is Sheng? Do you dare to just say my name directly?" The doctor put down the brush he was using to bathe the horse, rubbed his sore shoulders, and protested to Lu Zigang in a low voice.

"I'm doing this for your own good. What if you end up making a name for yourself in history? Would your parents still dare to name you after a historical figure? Do you think everyone is as powerful as my dad?"

Lu Zigang spoke with righteous indignation. In a way, his father was quite remarkable. He wasn't born with a jade pendant, nor did he have any Zigang mark on him. So why did his father name him Lu Zigang?

After thinking about it, the doctor realized that Lu Zigang's words made a lot of sense, so he could only keep his head down and continue working.

Although they were only doing odd jobs, they were actually being monitored. Lu Zigang had said to watch the compass needle's movement; they would be staying there for at least a few days. But after only half a day, the doctor was already longing for modern air conditioning and cell phones…

A piercing bugle call shattered the peaceful atmosphere of the military camp, instantly waking the doctor who had been dozing off. Looking at the soldiers running around the camp in a flurry of activity yet remaining calm, he grabbed one of them and asked, "What's going on?"

"Japanese pirates have landed!" The soldier pointed to the distant beacon fires, clearly used to it, but then the bugle calls, some long and some short, came one after another, and he changed color, saying, "This time the Japanese pirates are huge! Let go of me, I need to line up!"

The doctor watched in astonishment as the young soldier ran towards the troops about to depart for battle, realizing for the first time that he was not living in peacetime. Here, even a soldier who looked only a teenager had to take up heavy swords to defend his homeland from invasion.

Because of their sensitive identities, the doctor and Lu Zigang were ordered not to wander around and were guarded by four soldiers. The military camp, where half of the soldiers had gone to attack, was obviously much quieter and more solemn. No one was in the mood to gossip about General Qi anymore, and Madam Qi, fully armed and holding a spear, stood tall in the central command tent, waiting for the results of the battle.

This scene had clearly been repeating itself over the years. Although the soldiers were worried, they maintained a calm demeanor. The doctor, however, nudged Lu Zigang, who seemed lost in thought, and couldn't help but ask, "Won't something bad happen?"

Lu Zigang smiled and said, "No, the Qi Family Army is invincible. Such daily harassment is nothing to them. Besides, the focus of the anti-Japanese war is in the Jiangzhe area. In the past few years, the Qi Family Army has only been training in Shandong. Next year, they will be transferred to Taizhou, Zhejiang."

Lu Zigang spoke in a low voice, but immediately regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth, because he clearly noticed one of the soldiers monitoring them frown. After that, no matter how much the doctor pressed him with historical questions, Lu Zigang gritted his teeth and refused to reveal another word.

The good news didn't arrive until dawn the next day. Along with the news came hundreds of wounded soldiers. Aside from a few squads escorting the wounded, the rest of the troops continued to fight the Japanese pirates with General Qi. Madam Qi, however, took charge, arranging for the accompanying medical officers to treat the wounded. Lu Zigang, without noticing, discovered the doctors had disappeared. Not too surprised, he found the doctors busily tending to the wounded soldiers in the camp.

"What are you doing?" Lu Zigang grabbed the doctor's arm with a grim expression.

"To save lives," the doctor said matter-of-factly, wiping the blood splattered on his face.

“We came here not to save people,” Lu Zigang said in a deep voice.

The doctor stared intently at Lu Zigang, his smile unusually fading: "You're still holding a grudge about the time I saved that person back in the Republican era, aren't you?"

Lu Zigang was silent for a moment, then nodded honestly and said, "That's right. You shouldn't have saved him."

"That's just a fifteen or sixteen-year-old kid! In modern times, he'd only be a middle school student! Look at these soldiers, they're only in their teens or twenties too. Ask yourself honestly, can you really harden your heart?"

Perhaps it was because he recalled the horrific events of that time, or perhaps it was the emotional distress of being in a wounded soldiers' camp, but the doctor's tone became much sharper.

Lu Zigang frowned, and after a long while, he exhaled and slowly said, "Yes, I really couldn't bring myself to be so heartless, so I didn't stop you from standing by. But if we hadn't gone to find the boss, we wouldn't have ended up there. We did interfere with history, that's a fact. Fortunately, it seems this little episode doesn't have much impact on the present world, because last time we probably saved an unknown nobody. But what about this time? What if you saved an important figure who was destined to die in history, and history took a turn for the worse? Who would bear the responsibility then?"

He omitted what he was about to say: last time, they were in the palace of Emperor Ping of Han, Liu Kan, during the Han Dynasty. It was only by divine intervention that Liu Kan was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. Otherwise, if he had been saved by the doctor, wouldn't history have been completely changed?
The doctor coldly shook off his hand: "The Japanese pirates kill people to rob them of their property, and the soldiers kill people to protect their homes. Killing requires a motive, but saving people never needs a reason."

Lu Zigang watched helplessly as the doctor continued setting a soldier's bones, the piercing gazes around him making him uneasy. The others couldn't quite understand their argument, but they all understood that he was trying to stop the doctor from treating them.

The military medics only knew basic, crude methods of treating external injuries; how could they compare to a well-educated modern surgeon? Even if the doctor was only a cardiothoracic surgeon and not a trauma surgeon, his medical skills were still miles ahead of the military medics.

The gazes from the wounded and sick in the camp made Lu Zigang feel ashamed, as if they had seen through all the secrets hidden in his heart, causing him to leave in a hurry.

After he came out of the tent, he saw Wang Ying, dressed in black military uniform, standing outside the tent, waiting for him quietly.

"I don't know your backgrounds, nor what conflict exists between you two," Wang Ying said calmly, the red tassel on her right spear fluttering gently in the evening breeze. "Conflicts are inevitable in life. But in the military, please respect the sacrifices soldiers make to protect their homeland."

Lu Zigang stood blankly in front of the wounded soldiers' tent, unable to come to his senses for a long time. Wang Ying had long since left, and many soldiers were too busy to pay attention to him until the sun moved to noon, when a series of voices came from in front of the camp. It was General Qi returning in triumph.

The entire camp was filled with cheers. The cooks had already prepared celebratory food, and the camp was filled with the rich aroma of meat. Lu Zigang then realized he was a little hungry and was looking for a place to get some food, and also to get some for the doctor. Although he still couldn't agree with the other party's actions, he obviously couldn't stop them.

Just then, someone called out to him from behind.

"Zigang...Lu Zigang?" The man's voice was filled with disbelief.

Lu Zigang reflexively turned around, but immediately regretted it. He didn't know if he looked like his past self, because the bronze mirror in his past life's memory was rather blurry, but looking at the man's astonished eyes, he knew the answer.

"Are you Lu Zigang?"

The man was covered in blood, yet his handsome and imposing figure remained undeniable; he was none other than the renowned General Qi. Upon returning to his camp, he rushed to the wounded soldiers' quarters to check on his injured subordinates. There, he discovered the man suspected to be a Japanese spy diligently tending to the wounded. Inevitably, he became interested in the other person accompanying him, only to discover that it was someone he knew.

General Qi suddenly stopped his look of surprise and doubt, pulled Lu Zigang to a slightly quieter tent, and stared at him with suspicion, asking, "Zigang, weren't you... weren't you executed?"

Lu Zigang took a deep breath and found his connection with General Qi in his long-forgotten memories of his past life. He smiled bitterly and said, "I suppose... His Majesty couldn't bear to see my skills lost."

Being a local official is tough these days. Every time they go to the capital to report on their duties, they have to pay a large sum of money to the officials there. Back when General Qi went to the capital, he sold his wife's jewelry at the Silent Shop. At that time, Lu Zigang was famous throughout the land, but he was still helping out at the Silent Shop. Over time, they became acquainted. The Qulu spear in Wang Ying's hand was the gift that General Qi bought for his wife, which Lu Zigang found in the Silent Shop back then.

Although Lu Zigang's reason was a bit far-fetched, the current emperor's temperament was unpredictable. He had not attended court for more than ten years, focusing solely on seeking immortality and enlightenment. The reason for executing Lu Zigang at that time was even more outrageous, so General Qi believed it without much thought.

Looking at Lu Zigang's short hair, he chuckled with amusement, "What? Did you suddenly decide to become a monk?"

Lu Zigang didn't know how to explain his short hair, so he retorted irritably, "Becoming a monk is better than having your wife review the troops."

General Qi was surprised that his embarrassing moment had been witnessed by his old friends. If it were his subordinates, he wouldn't have been so worried about their private ridicule, since he was of higher rank. But since it was someone else, he couldn't help but explain, "My wife has suffered so much for me. A real man should naturally cherish his wife."

Lu Zigang was well-versed in history and knew that although General Qi was a high-ranking official's son during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, he was not a true "rich, handsome, and powerful" man. This was because he had to raise and train his own troops, and also had to bribe officials in the capital. His wife gave him all her dowry and managed the household affairs. Even a few years later in Taizhou, she went to the battlefield as a woman to protect the people of the entire city. She was truly a rare and extraordinary woman in history.

Thinking of the woman standing strong in the morning light, spear in hand, Lu Zigang couldn't help but say, "Young General, please be kinder to your wife..." He didn't know if doctors could save lives, because in his eyes, those wounded soldiers were already dead. But he truly couldn't bear to see that woman, who dared to love and hate, suffer, even though he knew that saying another word wouldn't change anything.

Upon hearing this, General Qi immediately gave him a wary look: "That's my wife, don't you dare have any ulterior motives!"

Lu Zigang was utterly speechless. What wicked thoughts could he possibly have? Wang Ying was clearly the goddess in the hearts of all the Qi Family Army soldiers. General Qi had a whole host of people to guard against!

"Oh, right, I forgot, you've become a monk." General Qi saw the longevity lock slipping from Lu Zigang's collar, remembered his past, patted his shoulder, and sighed, "The dead cannot be brought back to life, Zigang, try to be more open-minded."

Lu Zigang thought his hidden thoughts had been seen through, and froze on the spot. Fortunately, he quickly recovered and used the posture of looking down at the longevity lock to hide his loss of composure.

General Qi, bearing heavy responsibilities, had just finished a campaign against the Japanese pirates and had a great deal to do, so he naturally couldn't stand here chatting with Lu Zigang. But after confirming Lu Zigang's identity, he could at least escape being monitored, and a tent was specially prepared for him and the doctor to rest.

Lu Zigang got the doctor some food, and the two ate a quick meal in the wounded soldiers' camp. After resting for a while, the doctor was called back to check on the wounded soldiers. Fortunately, he didn't need to care for every wounded soldier; he only needed to treat some of the seriously wounded who the accompanying medics couldn't handle. Lu Zigang didn't stop him again, and even offered to help. After all, even if he hadn't eaten pork, he'd seen pigs run; having watched medical dramas, Lu Zigang was more suitable as an assistant than other ancient people.

"What's gotten into you?" The doctor chuckled, clearly pleased that Lu Zigang had changed his mind, but still explained somewhat sheepishly, "Although we are living in history, our destiny is in our own hands. Now that we're here, what if these people in history were just destined to survive?"

"No one says that nothing can be changed. For me, I'm going back to the past, but the people I meet now are all alive. Maybe this is God's arrangement."

Lu Zigang tightened his grip on the bandage, and seeing the wounded soldier under his command let out a weak groan in protest, the doctor quickly took over and re-bandaged him. Lu Zigang stood aside, bitterly wiping his face.

It wasn't fate's arrangement, but rather that he wanted to come to this era; it's just that... the timing was a little off...

"By the way, why didn't we see the shop owner this time?" The doctor suddenly remembered the key point of their time travel. "Shop owners usually run antique shops in the city... That's why our previous time travels were so safe. This time it's too dangerous."

"...Perhaps there's something wrong with the compass," Lu Zigang replied somewhat uncertainly.

The doctor readily believed him and focused on treating the wounded once more. Although he was an excellent surgeon, he couldn't save everyone from death, and given the rudimentary emergency facilities of the time, some seriously wounded soldiers tragically succumbed. The doctor wasn't overly saddened, only feeling a slight regret, as he had done his utmost. Surgeons are accustomed to life and death, but this doesn't make them numb; rather, it's the knowledge of the families and loved ones behind each life that drives them to give their all.

Lu Zigang didn't say another word, because he had no right to stop it. If he hadn't tampered with the compass, they wouldn't have encountered this situation at all.

After the seriously wounded soldiers were settled, other wounded soldiers lined up to be examined by the doctor. Everything seemed normal until the doctor looked up again and realized that the person sitting in front of him was the woman in black military uniform. Thinking of how the famous General Qi was so subservient in front of her, the doctor couldn't help but shrink back and cautiously asked, "Madam, are you also injured?"

They were now in a wounded soldiers' camp, but Wang Ying didn't care at all about the gazes directed at her. She generously extended her right hand and said, "Help me take my pulse."

The doctor looked at the long, beautiful hand that was handed to him and wanted to explain the difference between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Although he had studied some traditional Chinese medicine, he had absolutely no idea how to take a pulse.

Wang Ying didn't urge them, because her husband was serving in Shandong, and his family members could accompany him. However, she didn't usually live in the military camp, but in a nearby town. If it weren't for her husband's "invitation for the wife to review the troops" yesterday, she wouldn't have stayed here at all. But the Japanese pirates' attack last night was suspicious, and she couldn't risk leaving now, so she simply stayed.

The doctor examined Wang Ying's face and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He asked a few questions about her health, and after a long pause, he said uncertainly, "Madam, this sounds like a pregnancy pulse. Unfortunately, I'm trained in surgery and am not very good at pulse diagnosis."

The accompanying military doctor immediately volunteered. Although his medical skills weren't high, he could still distinguish between a pregnancy pulse and a child's. A tense atmosphere filled the wounded soldiers' camp. Everyone knew that General Qi and his wife were deeply in love, but they hadn't had children. The military doctor with the goatee examined the couple repeatedly, finally announcing with a smile that the young lady was indeed pregnant, and had been pregnant for over two months.

Even though Wang Ying was a woman of strong character and unlike most women, she couldn't help but blush and smile with her head down.

Immediately, some people shouted that they wanted to go and report the good news to General Qi, but before they could run out of the wounded soldiers' camp, the urgent bugle call sounded again in the sky above the military camp.

Upon hearing the unusual bugle call, Wang Ying's expression changed. Before she could speak, someone rushed into the tent, urgently reporting, "Young Madam! Japanese pirates have landed in Muping County, Penglai County, and Wendeng County! The Young General and the Assistant Magistrate have already led their troops to meet them. Please return to Dengzhou City temporarily..."

avoid!"

"There's no need to waste troops," Wang Ying said calmly. "I'm right here. Do you think Yuan Jing is so useless that even his stronghold has been destroyed by those Japanese pirates?"

The soldiers in the wounded camp responded enthusiastically. Many soldiers who considered themselves to be lightly wounded, as long as they could get up, stood up again, put on their armor, and were ready to go to the battlefield at any time, their morale high.

This is a tough battle, with flames constantly rising into the sky in the distance.

The Japanese pirates' landings were predictable; they mostly came from the sea, and ships rely on wind power to navigate. Certain seasons brought certain winds, and Qi Jiguang's army had a thorough understanding of when and where the pirates would land along the coast.

When northerly winds are prevalent, they invade Guangdong from the south; when easterly winds are prevalent, they disturb Fujian from the west; when northeasterly or due easterly winds are prevalent, they affect Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Only when southeasterly winds are prevalent do they directly attack Dengzhou and Laizhou in Shandong. Now it is clearly after the Double Ninth Festival, and southeasterly winds have long since stopped blowing, yet the Japanese pirates are landing one after another, indicating that this invasion is unusual.

The doctors had no time to rest. Wounded soldiers were being transported from the front lines in a steady stream. Some died on the way there before they could even receive treatment. The doctors had never experienced such a difficult rescue process before, and eventually they became completely numb.

Lu Zigang stayed by his side, never leaving his side, afraid that they wouldn't be together when the compass needle returned to normal. He wasn't as busy as the doctors, so he had the leisure to notice that most of the wounded soldiers the doctors had saved actually succumbed to their injuries one after another due to returning to the battlefield or worsening wound infections.

So, fate is fate after all. Even if they have made small changes, will history still ruthlessly correct them?
Lu Zigang couldn't help but overthink, but he still thought of something that chilled him to the bone.

So when he stepped into the central command tent, he was not surprised to see Wang Ying, who was already wearing armor, sitting in a chair solemnly wiping the spear in his hand.

“The ‘Wu Yue Chun Qiu: Goujian’s Conquest of Wu’ says that King Goujian of Yue wore the armor of the Tang Yi, carried the sword of Bu Guang, and wielded the spear of Qu Lu. He then led three hundred elite warriors to form an army at the pass.” Lu Zigang said slowly, “Qu Lu’s powerful spear and Gan Jiang’s mighty halberd. Qu Lu was a skilled craftsman in ancient times who was good at making bows and spears. He was mentioned in the same breath as Gan Jiang, which shows his reputation. The Qu Lu spear in your hand was bought by your husband at the Ya She shop. At the time, I was curious about what kind of woman would like such a thing.”

Wang Ying did not speak, but after wiping the sharp spear, she began to solemnly tidy the red tassel tied to it.

The tassels attached to spears were actually a practical necessity in combat, not just decorative. When a spear pierces or withdraws from an enemy's flesh, blood splatters. To prevent being splattered with blood and making the spear shaft slippery, tassels were essential, and their length needed to be adjusted. The tassels were red because they had been soaked in blood so many times that regardless of their original color, they would eventually turn a dark red.

“Yuan Jing once told me that this is an indestructible spear that can pierce through anything that stands in its way, whether it be an enemy or fate.” After retying the red tassel, Wang Ying raised her head and looked directly at Lu Zigang, who had trespassed into the central command tent. “I like it very much. Ever since Yuan Jing gave it to me, I feel that nothing in this world can stop me from doing what I want.”

Lu Zigang was speechless. So General Qi was afraid of his wife because of this Qu Lu spear? It seems that he was the culprit... Why couldn't he have thought of selling this troublesome Qu Lu spear in his previous life?

"As long as we exist in this world, there will be contradictions, which are unavoidable." Wang Ying slowly repeated the words she had said not long ago, "Although I possess the sharpest spear in the world, I also know that one day there will be a shield that I can never pierce."

She resolutely raised her chin and stood up without hesitation, the iron armor clanging with a crisp metallic sound as she moved.

“Yuan Jing trained his troops. He knew what kind of stain his reputation would be if he bowed down to the officials in the capital and colluded with them, but he did it anyway. I also know that I should be gentle and respectful to my husband, but I do it anyway.”

“I know that I might lose my child if I go there, and I should listen to Yuan Jing and return to Dengzhou, but I still did it this way.”

"So don't try to persuade me. As a sharp spear, my destiny is to keep moving forward!"

The woman in armor, holding a spear, walked forward with a determined look in her eyes, exuding a sharp and murderous aura.

“If Yuan Jing dies, I will not live on alone.”

Lu Zigang listened with a sense of melancholy. Just as Wang Ying was about to leave the central command tent, he couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you afraid of dying on the battlefield?"

Wang Ying didn't turn around, but her voice, tinged with a faint smile, drifted gently on the evening breeze.

"Whether you go to war or not, people will still die, won't they?"

Lu Zigang didn't know if Wang Ying had returned in triumph, because he soon realized that the compass needle was about to reset. He hurriedly ran back to the wounded soldiers' camp, dragged the doctor to a secluded place, and after a familiar bout of dizziness, the two finally made it back to the Silent House.

The greasy smell of xiaolongbao still lingered in the shop of Ya She. They seemed to have only left for a moment, but in fact they had been in the Ming Dynasty's military camp for several days.

Both of them were utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. They each found a chair and slumped down, neither of them speaking for a moment.

"By the way, what happened to that young mistress Qi? She was alright, wasn't she?" The doctor rubbed his eyes, found his glasses that he had left aside, and put them on. He suddenly remembered that just as he was about to leave, he seemed to have vaguely heard someone say that young mistress Qi was going to personally lead the troops into battle.

“It’s alright… In history, both she and General Qi lived for a very long time.”

"Oh, that's good. They're such an enviable couple. Their kids must be amazing too."

"No... In fact, Madam Qi never had a child in her entire life... This one she was pregnant with must have been a miscarriage..."

"Oh no?"

"Moreover, because she did not bear any children, Qi Yuanjing took a concubine ten years later. The two, who were once a perfect couple, became estranged, and in the end, Madam Qi angrily divorced her... preferring to die rather than live in dishonor..."

Silence fell once more in the silent room. Both men simultaneously thought of the fierce woman in black military attire, wielding a spear. Though she had died hundreds of years ago, she seemed to still be alive in their sight, as if they could reach out and touch her.

Lu Zigang lowered his head and pressed the longevity lock around his neck through his clothes, examining the compass in his hand, a hesitant look on his face...

(End of this chapter)