After a desperate struggle for survival, Li Qiongqi's hair was disheveled, his clothes filthy, and the bandages wrapped around his wounds were untold days old. Anyone who saw him would have mistaken him for a beggar from who-knows-where.
Yet now, this beggar with bloodshot eyes was invited into the Military Commissioner's residence and seated in the position reserved for guests in the main hall.
Huo Tingshan sat at the head of the hall, looking at Li Qiongqi, who had thinned considerably and seemed to have just escaped from a refugee camp. He curled the corner of his mouth and asked knowingly, "Might I ask, General Li, what brings you to seek me out?"
Li Qiongqi was so depressed he nearly coughed up blood.
The experiences of the past few days were etched so deeply that even ten years from now, he would feel as if that flight had happened just yesterday.
After returning alone to Jiangling back then, he first entered the palace for an audience with the Emperor. Once his report was finished, he returned to his own residence. Little did he expect that a fire would break out in his mansion that very night.
The fire started in the master bedroom. Coincidentally, that night he was terribly vexed, his thoughts in disarray. He thought of Hong Bei and Ximen Gong who had betrayed him, of the scene during his report in the palace hall, and finally of that night raid.
Nothing felt right, and he simply couldn't lie down. So he got up and went to his study to research how to defeat Huo Tingshan.
As a result, his master bedroom caught fire that night, and his wife was killed by a collapsing beam.
Although the summer was dry and hot, seeing the oil burning in the courtyard, Li Qiongqi knew full well it was deliberate arson.
Someone wanted him dead.
He immediately investigated the matter, following the clues all the way to Hong Bei. Not one to endure such things, he immediately took up his sword to go kill Hong Bei, but was summoned to the palace again mid-way.
Emperor Zhaoyuan, his former superior, heard his account but treated the matter lightly, letting the major issue dissolve into a minor one.
In that moment, he knew: his superior no longer trusted him. Even this arson might have been carried out with some tacit approval.
He secretly sent trusted aides to escort his elderly mother and young son away. When he tried to leave himself, he encountered immense obstruction.
Almost the entire city of Jiangling was mobilized to hunt him down. He lost several trusted aides before fighting his way out of the tight encirclement. Once outside Jiangling, he was suddenly overcome by a sense of bewilderment.
Head west, to Yizhou?
But Governor Wei of Yizhou and Cong Liuqi were at odds. Not long ago, he had beheaded Mu Qianqiu, the commander of the Yizhou army. They surely hated him to the core. Going there now would be no different from walking into a trap.
Head north, to Yongzhou?
Yongzhou and Yizhou were allied, having even formed a joint army. Moreover, the Yongzhou army was, when it came down to it, an imperial army. A military officer who had joined the "new emperor" running back to the "former dynasty" side could expect no good outcome.
Go east, to find Governor Lei of Yuzhou, Lei Chengshuang?
Perhaps Yuzhou was too far. If he could make it to Governor Lei's territory, he might as well have already reached Shenyuan Dao.
Yes, Shenyuan Dao.
Throughout this journey from Jiangling, thoughts of Shenyuan Dao flashed through his mind repeatedly. A voice in his heart told him he had to go there.
And so, evading layers of pursuers, bypassing towns, traveling day and night, he arrived at Shenyuan Dao and found his way to the Military Commissioner's residence.
He gave his name and said he wished to see Governor Huo of Youzhou. Given his current dust-covered and disheveled appearance, he thought the guards at the gate would mistake him for a beggar looking for a handout and drive him away. He was even prepared to make a scene, taking down two men to prove his capability.
But strangely, the guards actually led him inside and brought him to the main hall, as if they had been specifically instructed beforehand.
He didn't have to wait long in the main hall before Huo Tingshan arrived.
Hearing him ask what brought him here, Li Qiongqi subconsciously clenched his fists at his sides. But after carefully considering the words, he found only a touch of teasing and mockery, without much malice, and his hands relaxed.
"You previously said you wanted me to submit to the Youzhou army. That is why I have come," Li Qiongqi said, looking straight at Huo Tingshan.
Huo Tingshan: "Agreed."
Li Qiongqi was taken aback.
He agreed? Just like that? So straightforward, without asking anything else?
Huo Tingshan called a guard and sent him to fetch Feng Yuzhu. Then he said to Li Qiongqi, "I depart for Luoyang tomorrow. You will accompany me."
Li Qiongqi frowned. Since Huo Tingshan didn't ask, he couldn't hold back himself. "Governor Huo, aren't you going to ask why I suddenly came running to pledge myself to you?"
Huo Tingshan looked him over from head to toe and smiled meaningfully. "I thought your current attire was enough to show you can't stay in Jiangling, that Cong Liuqi has no place for you. Isn't that the case?"
Li Qiongqi was speechless for a moment. "...It is."
"Then that settles it." Huo Tingshan had spies hidden in Jiangling and had already received news of the full-scale manhunt for Li Qiongqi there.
He didn't ask, but Li Qiongqi still wanted to speak. "My residence in Jiangling was set on fire. My humble wife died in the blaze. Afterwards, when I sought revenge against the arsonist, I was summoned to the palace. He downplayed the matter, telling me to let it rest and keep the peace."
Originally, Li Qiongqi was furious. But after speaking, he noticed Huo Tingshan's gaze towards him seemed to have shifted slightly.
If it was simple mockery before, the look in his eyes now was one of disdain. "Someone kills your wife, he tells you to let it rest, and you actually could endure it? How utterly spineless."
Li Qiongqi said quietly, "But at that time, there were many guards surrounding the hall. I had disarmed to enter, had no weapon in hand, and was wounded. I couldn't have defeated him."
Huo Tingshan couldn't be bothered to respond to this.
The atmosphere in the hall grew stiff.
However, it didn't remain awkward for long. Feng Yuzhu arrived hurriedly with his medical kit. Huo Tingshan spoke: "Physician Feng, examine him."
Feng Yuzhu looked at Li Qiongqi, his eyelid twitching slightly.
It was his first time seeing such a slovenly and unkempt guest. Though not yet close, he could already faintly catch a whiff of odor, unsure how many days since he had washed.
But having weathered many storms, Feng Yuzhu showed no trace of reaction on his face. He asked Li Qiongqi to remove his clothes so he could inspect the wounds.
Once the clothes were off, Feng Yuzhu's expression changed. "The wounds have begun to fester."
There was not only necrotic flesh but also a foul, putrid smell. This wasn't really Li Qiongqi's fault; he had been fleeing for his life the entire way, often unsure of his next meal. Being able to eat his fill was an achievement, and he truly had no energy to spare for personal hygiene.
Huo Tingshan said in a flat tone, "This man is not yet considered a soldier of Youzhou, Physician Feng. Cut what needs cutting, stitch what needs stitching. As long as he keeps a breath in him, you may use strong medicine. No need to be overly gentle."
The corner of Li Qiongqi's eye twitched.
Feng Yuzhu, however, understood.
Not a Youzhou soldier yet, but once he pulls through, he will be. This man's status is not simple; he must be treated with all effort.
Not daring to delay for a moment, Feng Yuzhu began treating Li Qiongqi's wounds. The first step was to clean them with saline solution.
...
Pei Ying had been packing her belongings when she suddenly heard that a visitor had arrived. Furthermore, Guo Dajiang reported that the man's name was Li Qiongqi. Afterwards, Huo Tingshan, who had been in the room with her, went to receive the guest.
After Huo Tingshan left, Pei Ying stood in the room for a moment. Belatedly, she realized why the name "Li Qiongqi" felt familiar to her.
Earlier, Huo Tingshan had mentioned confiscating an Iron-Spine Serpent Spear and dropped the name of its previous owner, which was this Li Qiongqi.
Wasn't he from the Jingzhou region? How did he show up at our doorstep not long after his weapon was seized?
Since the guards let him in, he probably isn't an enemy.
Pei Ying's curiosity was piqued; she also wanted to know how many weapons like the Iron-Spine Serpent Spear this man possessed. She planned to sneak a peek first, then have a guard pass a message to Huo Tingshan.
However, just as she reached the side corridor of the main hall, before she could round the corner, she ran into a Youzhou soldier carrying two jars of saline solution. The soldier saluted her.
"Is this for use or as a gift?" Pei Ying asked.
The guard replied, "For use. Medical Officer Feng is currently treating his wounds."
"Madam." Hearing the commotion, Huo Tingshan stepped out.
Since one of the parties involved had arrived, Pei Ying simply asked him, "What's the situation now? Has he come to surrender?"
Otherwise, it was unlikely Youzhou Army resources would be used on an outsider.
Huo Tingshan smiled. "My lady is perceptive. The beast has willingly returned to its cage."
Pei Ying recalled his earlier mention of taming a beast and suddenly understood. Li Qiongqi, Qiongqi—one of the Four Fiends in ancient mythology. Indeed, a beast.
"The wound on your flank is quite severe. I need to excise the necrotic flesh. You must endure it and refrain from moving," Pei Ying heard Feng Yuzhu say from inside.
"Just get on with it," a voice like muffled thunder responded.
But Pei Ying thought of something else. "Huo Tingshan, you said before that if a wound develops necrotic flesh, it must be cut away or left for maggots to clean. When excising it, is it done 'raw'?"
The man raised an eyebrow, his tone surprised. "If not 'raw,' then 'dead'?"
Pei Ying: "..."
She realized he had a bit of a dark sense of humor.
"Of course not 'dead.' I mean, before cutting, give the patient something to make them insensible, so they don't move from the pain and hinder the healer's work," Pei Ying explained.
Huo Tingshan: "We don't have that 'something' right now. If they can endure it, they endure. If they can't, we tie them up or knock them out."
Pei Ying: "..." Very well, simple and brutal.
Seeing her expression seemed speechless, Huo Tingshan asked, "In your world, madam, what would you give the patient beforehand?"
Before Pei Ying could answer, voices came from the main hall. "I, the patient, am not worried, yet you, the medical officer, are frowning with a troubled face. What are you afraid of! Speaking of which, are you stitching me up like a piece of clothing?"
Pei Ying glanced toward the hall. "We use anesthesia beforehand. Once it takes effect, whether it's opening the abdomen, severing intestines, or suturing wounds, the patient feels nothing. It's as if they enter a state of sleep, without the energy to chatter with the healer."
It was unclear which part struck Huo Tingshan's funny bone, but he chuckled softly. "Encountering those with long tongues is indeed annoying."
After laughing, he asked again, "How is the 'anesthesia' you speak of, madam, made?"
"The kind used in my time is too complex; the conditions here aren't suitable." Pei Ying glanced toward the main hall again. "However, there is one medicinal formula that might be producible here. I'll discuss it with Medical Officer Feng later."
In ancient China, anesthesia first appeared during the Eastern Han Dynasty, invented by Hua Tuo, and was called Mafeisan at the time. It was said that taking Mafeisan with wine could make the patient intoxicated and unaware.
However, the exact formula for Mafeisan was later lost. People in later generations, after much searching and experimentation, only vaguely knew that it contained ingredients such as the datura flower.
After hearing Pei Ying's words, Huo Tingshan seemed thoughtful.
They had originally planned to leave for Luoyang tomorrow, but because Li Qiongqi was arriving, their itinerary changed. The departure was postponed by two days; they would set off the day after tomorrow.
In the blink of an eye, two more days passed. After the family finished their morning meal, it was time to depart.
Huo Zhizhang followed closely behind his parents, accompanying them all the way to the courtyard where the carriages were waiting.
The horses and carriages were ready, set to depart at any moment.
Looking at his parents and younger sister about to travel far, a wave of reluctance suddenly welled up amidst Huo Zhizhang's youthful fervor. "Father, Mother, I..."
Huo Tingshan turned and glanced at his reluctant young son, clicking his tongue lightly. "A man should be strong and resolute. What kind of appearance is this?"
Pei Ying secretly poked Huo Tingshan, telling him to be quiet.
They were about to embark on a long journey, leaving Zhizhang alone here. How could he speak to the child like that?
The man looked down at her. He was a head taller, and from above he could see her fair forehead and her long, thick lashes like a feather fan.
Huo Tingshan said nothing more.
Pei Ying said to Huo Zhizhang, "We likely won't stay in Luoyang very long, and the distance between the two places isn't too great. Zhizhang, you can send us letters anytime."
Huo Zhizhang nodded emphatically.
Meng Ling'er: "Second Brother, when I get to Luoyang, I'll write to you."
Huo Zhizhang gradually brightened up. "Alright!"
The carriage slowly departed from the Jiajie Governor's residence. Pei Ying shared a carriage with her daughter, and behind their carriage followed two others.
One carried the attending maidservants and all the luggage for the women, and the other...
Meng Ling'er let the curtain fall, a flicker of doubt in her eyes.
Since that forced departure from home, the young girl's character had steadied considerably. After her tumultuous return, she never asked about the only remaining kin from her birth father's line, acting as if she had never met them.
Seeing her daughter's puzzlement, Pei Ying said, "Your father has newly taken in a military officer from Jingzhou. This man is wounded and cannot ride a horse, so he must travel by carriage for now."
Meng Ling'er: "I see."
Over twenty feet away, Li Qiongqi sat in his carriage with a dark scowl. Though his face was pale, it didn't stop him from pulling a long face, exuding an aura of chill.
Feng Yuzhu, sharing the carriage with him, pretended not to notice.
What's with the stubbornness? It's perfectly reasonable to ride in a carriage when injured. Why insist on horseback? Could it be that riding a carriage seems less imposing than riding a horse, hurting his pride?
Feng Yuzhu expressed his lack of understanding for these military men. He changed the subject. "Your elderly mother and your two young children have been successfully contacted. The Lord has ordered them sent to Luoyang, taking a different route. They should arrive a bit later than us."
Li Qiongqi's expression softened slightly. "My thanks to Huo Youzhou."
Hearing the form of address he used, Feng Yuzhu merely smiled without further comment.
The territory of Sizhou wasn't very vast, roughly only a quarter the size of Jingzhou.
The journey wasn't rushed. Moreover, the fifty thousand troops Huo Tingshan was taking included many infantry, so the travel took ten days in total.
Ten days later, they reached Luoyang.
The main gate of the Governor's mansion stood wide open. A tall, slender figure like a green bamboo stood before the gate. He wore a white robe, his dark hair tied high. His narrow eyes, bearing a seventy percent resemblance to his father's, were calm and reserved. Sunlight fell upon him, giving him an almost spotless aura.
