Zhou Qingyuan was awakened by an odd itch on his face. When he opened his eyes, he found himself face-to-face with Little Red’s rear end.
“I swear, if your claws were any sharper, my Pan An-like face would be ruined!”
“Chirp chirp chirp!”
Little Red wiggled her bottom, fluttered her wings, and flew to Lu Chao’s bedside, her tiny beady eyes filled with unmistakable disdain.
“Awoo! That was one refreshing nap! Whee!”
Zhou Qingyuan stretched exaggeratedly, letting out a series of bizarre noises as if he’d regressed to the age of apes. After a series of contortions, he finally loosened his stiff limbs and turned to look at Lu Chao on the bed.
“Bro, feeling any better?”
Lu Chao, absorbed in examining the armguard in his hands, didn’t even glance up.
“Ahem, more or less.”
He suspected he was suffering from acclimatization sickness—though he had no proof. Over the years, his body had grown increasingly prone to colds. In an era without antibiotics, he had no choice but to tough it out. Unlike Zhou Qingyuan, who seemed to possess boundless energy, recovering from exhaustion in a single night like some superhuman.
“Heh heh, I overslept a bit. Oh? Who brought these sour plums?”
On the table, only dregs of herbal medicine remained, accompanied by a few sour plums. Zhou Qingyuan popped one into his mouth, only to grimace at the overwhelming tartness and promptly spit it out.
“Ugh, these are way too sour! Who pairs bitter medicine with sour plums? That’s just double torture!”
“They weren’t for you in the first place, yet here you are complaining.”
After over ten days of a city-wide lockdown, finding candied fruit was impossible. Sour plums were already a thoughtful gesture. Pressing one under the tongue could at least add some flavor, making even plain porridge palatable enough for half a bowl. Lu Chao had even considered rewarding the young soldier who brought them—but the lad had just grinned foolishly and dashed off before he could.
Knock knock knock.
The door creaked open, and Lu Chao quickly tucked the armguard under the blanket, clearing his throat.
“Come in.”
The same young soldier entered, cupping his hands in salute. The Northwest Marquis had heard Lu Chao was awake and requested an urgent discussion.
Lu Chao naturally agreed.
“Please, show him in at once!”
He then asked Zhou Qingyuan to help him sit up.
When the Northwest Marquis entered with Xiao Yan, they saw Lu Chao attempting to rise and hurriedly stopped him.
“Master Lu, there’s no need to get up! You’re still unwell. We wouldn’t impose if the matter weren’t urgent. We’ll sit right here.”
“Cough cough… It’s fine. I’ve been lying down too long—stretching a bit might do me good.”
Xiao Yan effortlessly nudged Zhou Qingyuan aside with his massive hand and firmly pressed Lu Chao back down.
“Young Master Lu, you mustn’t risk lingering health issues at your age.”
Lu Chao studied the man’s face, brows furrowed as if trying to place him.
“Hm? Why are you looking at me like that?” Xiao Yan asked, puzzled.
“Are you… Yingge’s uncle?” Lu Chao ventured uncertainly.
Xiao Yan smacked his forehead. No wonder the name “Lu Chao” had sounded familiar! He’d visited the Lu family years ago.
“You—! The Lu boy who saved Yingge back then?!”
Lu Chao grinned. Last night, covered in grime and armor, Yingge’s uncle had been unrecognizable. But now, cleaned up, the resemblance was unmistakable—especially those towering figures, square jaws, and thick beards that left a lasting impression.
“Yes! It’s me, Lu Chao!”
The Northwest Marquis immediately understood. Yingge had spoken endlessly about this friend after returning home.
“Hahaha! So you’re Yingge’s lifesaver! Fate truly works in mysterious ways!”
“And now you’ve saved our Xiao family again! We don’t even know how to repay you!”
The Northwest Marquis regarded Lu Chao with growing fondness. The boy was handsome, kind-hearted—not only had he once saved Yingge, but now he’d also donated a cellar’s worth of provisions and led troops to reinforce the Northwest Army. A truly remarkable young man.
“That Yingge… didn’t breathe a word about this. Had you not mentioned it, we’d never have known.”
Lu Chao thought of the slender youth and finally understood that strange sense of familiarity. Hmph, no wonder the kid had stared at him so oddly yesterday and hesitated to speak this morning. That little rascal! He’d settle this with him later.
“You mentioned urgent business, Marquis. Has something happened?”
The Northwest Marquis sat down and cut straight to the point.
“The Tartars haven’t given up. Two incense sticks ago, they marched toward Yanmen Pass. But scouts just reported the Russian troops abruptly retreated for unknown reasons. Now the Tartars are down to 40,000 men—likely too cowardly to face us head-on—and have withdrawn to their borders. Have you received any news, Master Lu?”
Lu Chao chuckled.
“Actually, I do know something about that.”
Zhou Qingyuan thought of Xiao Huan and praised unreservedly,
“Truly, a mighty father doesn’t sire weak sons!”
The impatient Xiao Yan pressed, “Well? Explain!”
Lu Chao cleared his throat.
“When I set out from Yingchuan, another detachment was sent to Hedong. The court refused to deploy troops, so even with my 5,000 soldiers, we stood no chance against the Tartar-Russian alliance. So we devised a plan—have Hedong attack Russia. The Russians, caught between two fronts, would break the alliance, leaving the Tartars too vulnerable to act boldly.”
The Northwest Marquis applauded.
“Brilliant! Zheng proposed the same, but we lacked manpower and were trapped in Shuozhou. Who’d have thought you’d both land on the same strategy!”
Learning of the Russian retreat, both men finally relaxed. They’d feared that scheming Chi Na was plotting something again.
“Aren’t you curious who went to Hedong, Marquis?”
The Northwest Marquis’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be—?
“It’s Xiao Huan.”
Xiao Yan shot to his feet, eyes reddening.
“Huan was in the capital! How—?”
“After General Xiao Yi’s death reached Shangjing, Huan longed to return northwest. When men came to seize him, the ailing Crown Prince secretly sent him to Yingchuan. But even Yingchuan wasn’t entirely safe. Going to Hedong protected him while letting him aid the Xiao family. Circumstances forced our hand—I hope you won’t blame us for acting without consultation.”
How could the Northwest Marquis blame them? The emperor’s intentions with Huan were clear—using him as leverage. That Huan escaped the capital safely was thanks to the Crown Prince and Prince Kang.
“I could never fault you. We owe you our deepest gratitude.”
If Huan had fallen into others’ hands, he’d have lived in constant dread. But in Hedong, under the protection of its governor—an old friend—he could rest easy.
Lu Chao thought of the boisterous Xiao second uncle, who’d been so close with his father, and felt a pang of sorrow.
“There’s one more matter.”
The Northwest Marquis’s expression darkened as he lowered his voice.
“I’ve received word—the court has dispatched Commander Luo with 10,000 troops to the northwest. They’ll reach Yingzhou soon.”
Lu Chao arched a brow. Reinforcements always arrived after the battle was won.
“If your intelligence is accurate, I should withdraw immediately. With the Tartars neutralized, Prince Kang can finally breathe easy.”
The Northwest Marquis understood Lu Chao’s implication—Prince Kang had dispatched troops without the Emperor’s consent, and if this were investigated, it would indeed become a serious issue.
"But your illness hasn’t fully healed yet, and now you’re setting off on another journey?"
The Northwest Marquis glanced at Lu Chao with concern.
"It’s fine. The return journey won’t be as rushed. I can take my time to recuperate along the way."
If they were to encounter the imperial envoys, that would be the real problem.
"Qingyuan, inform Zhang Qing that we’ll depart at first light tomorrow."
Zhou Qingyuan gave a solemn nod and swiftly left the room.
The Northwest Marquis pressed his lips together, then clasped his hands and bowed deeply to Lu Chao in a formal salute.
"Master Lu, the Xiao family will never forget your great kindness."
Seeing that he couldn’t stop him, Lu Chao sidestepped slightly, not daring to accept the gesture.
"You honor me too much, Marquis. I only hope you can ensure the provisions and reinforcements are properly arranged."
After the Northwest Marquis left, Lu Chao pulled out the hidden armguard from under the blankets and let out an exasperated laugh.
Knock, knock, knock.
Lu Chao looked up to see none other than Xiao Zheng holding a bowl of medicine.
"Well, well! To what do I owe the pleasure of Young Master Xiao personally delivering my medicine? Such an honor!"
Hearing the sarcastic tone, Xiao Zheng knew Lu Chao had figured it out. He set the bowl down, scratched his head, and offered a guilty smile.
