The group returned to Garrison City after a long journey. Liu Nanyuan held a food box in her arms as she jumped off the carriage and asked: “Where is my Er-ge?”

“The Second Young Master is in the back courtyard.” The servant pointed out, “It seems he is playing chess with the prince. We don’t dare to disturb him.”

Liu Nanyuan was very surprised to hear this, mainly because His Royal Highness Xiao Wang didn’t seem like someone who could play chess quietly, so she rushed over to take a look.

It had been raining continuously for the past few days, and now it had finally cleared up. The weather was good, so Liu Xian’an supported Liang Shu out for some fresh air in the morning. He specifically asked A-Ning to move out the large, comfortable and spacious lounge chair and place it among the flowers. He took out another thin blanket and wrapped it around the other person comfortably, then lay on his side and began to wander in a daze as usual.

Liang Shu thought the atmosphere was pretty good at first. He rested an arm on his pillow and gently caressed the cheek of the person next to him with his other hand, as if teasing a beautiful, lazy cat. After teasing and teasing, he was not satisfied, so he tugged the other’s hair and asked, “Why won’t you talk?”

Liu Xian’an replied: “No time, I’m playing chess.”

“With those white-bearded old men?”

“En.”

Thus, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang began to give his opinion in a disdainful manner, “That won’t work, I forbid it.”

Liu Xian’an said: “But I haven’t played chess for a long time, and the prince won’t accompany me.”

Liang Shu immediately sat up and sent someone to find a chess set. He just didn’t like playing and couldn’t be bothered to do it, but it wasn’t that he couldn’t play. What was so difficult about playing chess? He held his temple in one hand, body slightly tilted to one side. His chess-playing posture was very charming. He looked like a noble hermit in black robes who was about to solve some ancient puzzle, but in fact, his chess skills were not very good. He lost three games in a row with a speed comparable to that of Commander Ku’s eating.

“……”

Liu Xian’an comforted him: “It doesn’t matter, I can help you a little bit.”

So when Liu Nanyuan led a group of Baihe Mountain Village disciples to the back courtyard, she saw her Er-ge holding white on the left and then going to hold black on the right, moving back and forth. The wind blew his robes up, like a big butterfly flying non-stop. His Royal Highness Xiao Wang sat on the lounge chair without even raising a finger, and his eyes had no contact with the chess board. He only hugged the other’s waist, dragged him back into his arms, and put his chin on his shoulder: “Why did you drop it there? I don’t think it’s right, I’ll do more research.”

The disciples of Baihe Mountain Village practiced medicine to help the world all day long. They were very pure and had few desires. When had they ever seen such a grand scene of love talk? The younger ones especially had red faces and didn’t even dare to raise their heads. They all slipped away on tiptoe, holding their breaths. 

When Liu Xian’an heard movement, he looked up to see his sister at the door and was very happy: “When did you and Da-ge get back?”

“Just now. Da-ge probably went to the pharmacy to get busy.” Liu Nanyuan stepped through the courtyard gate and handed over the food box in her hands without further ado. “Here, these are the berries I picked on the road. They’re very sweet.”

Liang Shu stood and told the brother and sister to continue chatting. Liu Xian’an wiped his hands and chewed on the fruit, asking, “Where is Young Head Escort Chang?”

Liu Nanyuan said: “He went to the military camp as soon as we came back. He helped us a lot this time.”

Gao Lin had forced him onto the Baihe Mountain Village team. Firstly, this was to create more opportunities for the young man who was at the age of first love, and secondly, Lieutenant General Gao patted Xiao Chang on the shoulder and said earnestly: “Since you intend to join the military camp, you need to understand that soldiers must always be prepared to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. So if you go into the dense forest and really can’t catch Liu-guniang, and the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe insist on dragging First Young Master Liu into marriage, why not just grit your teeth and sacrifice yourself? Anyway, I think the girls from that tribe are very good, so you’ll get a huge bargain if you marry one home.”

Chang Xiaoqiu was very enthusiastic and excited when hearing the first half of these words. Later, he was dumbfounded and simply grew eight legs to run away. He had no intention of getting married so early, let alone to a girl he didn’t know. As for Liu Nanyuan, he admired her, but after spending time together all the way through the dense forest, for some reason he actually developed a sense of upright platonicness, like meeting someone with a pot of wine in the jianghu. In short, the beautiful path envisioned by Lieutenant General Gao was getting more and more off track.

Cheng Suyue couldn’t understand, and asked her brother: “Why do you enjoy being a matchmaker so much?”

“Do I really enjoy it?” Gao Lin was deeply worried and sick at heart. “Don’t look at how many bachelors there are in the northwest and in this southwest camp. It’s almost overwhelming…..” He was accustomed to saying that when superiors did not set a good example, the subordinates could not be expected to behave well, but when he thought about it, this was not quite right. Because his family’s prince was very upright now, single-heartedly devoted to love, and his marriage was prosperous.

“You should still be concerned about yourself.” Cheng Suyue patted his chest and said, “After returning to Wangcheng, the emperor will definitely summon you alone right away. Think in advance about what you are going to say.”

Gao Lin was baffled. Why would the emperor summon me alone? What about the prince?

Cheng Suyue replied, the prince will not go back to Wangcheng yet. He will accompany Second Young Master Liu back to Baihe Mountain Village in Jiangnan.

Gao Lin sucked in a cold breath of air. Is this appropriate?!

However, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang didn’t care about rules or irregularities when doing things. As it happened, he had also met Second Young Master Liu, who also had a temperament which regarded rules as nothing. He was simply the most dissolute person in the world, and didn’t care.

Liu Nanyuan was the only reliable one among this group of people, and was relatively idle, so she dared to voice to her Er-ge: If the emperor finds out about this, won’t he blame you? After all, since the general won a victory, it seems that he should return to the royal city to report on his duties.

Liu Xian’an waved his hand: “It doesn’t matter. The prince says that he sent a secret report to be rushed eight hundred li to Wangcheng.”

As for what was specifically written in the secret report, it was very thick this time around. He seemed to have divine assistance when writing it, and it could be compared to the essays of a number one scholar.

He mentioned the treasure first. Not only did your younger brother not spend more military expenses during this campaign, but he also made a fortune. Emperor Brother can use it to fill the treasury. Then he turned his brush and began to complain about how difficult it was to fight in the southwest, how cunning the cult was, and how ‘your younger brother was seriously injured during the battle,’ I have been lying in bed for two months and still haven’t recovered. I miss Emperor Brother very much, and look forward to seeing him day and night. I can’t sleep at night, tossing and turning. But the journey from the southwest to the capital is more than a thousand li. This shabby, pitiful, sick body really can’t bear it. After some thought, I have no choice but to leave for Baihe Mountain Village first. After all, Master Liu’s medical skills are unparalleled, and he should be able to heal your younger brother’s injuries as soon as possible.

He also wrote, since I am going to Baihe Mountain Village, where I will live in someone else’s home, eat, and receive medical treatment, it is not good to go empty handed. Therefore, the betrothal gifts prepared by Emperor Brother last time can be sent over first.

As I write, it is getting colder and colder, and I have no good clothes to wear.

He originally wanted to ask for an additional two jars of wine, but Liu Xian’an said: “Everyone knows that my father doesn’t drink alcohol, and his disciples are also not allowed to drink alcohol.”

“Then we will refrain. I will drink with you when we go to Wangcheng in the future.” Liang Shu sealed the letter, tossed it into an attendant’s hands, and raised his chin. “Use the fastest horse and run day and night without rest. Run as fast as you can for this lord.”

The attendant received this loud order with a serious look on his face. Thinking that the letter contained important military matters, he ran like crazy even on the road to the inn.

Chang Xiaoqiu did not go to the northwest camp with Cheng Suyue. He had been away for a long time, so he had to return to the escort agency to see his unfortunate father, then settle things at home one by one.

Liu Xianche handed a stack of medical books to Liu Hengchang and said: “After you arrive in the northwest, if you want to practice medicine in the military camp, then go there. If there are no battles, you can also go to Chunfeng City to build a new Baihe Medical Clinic. If you need anything, just write to me.”

Liu Hengchang saluted and said: “Yes, thank you very much, First Young Master. However, the Second Young Master gave me a lot of banknotes yesterday to build a medical center, which should be enough. There is no shortage for the time being.”

Liu Xianche was puzzled: “The Second Young Master. Where did he get the money?”

He called A-Ning and asked. It was His Royal Highness Xiao Wang who had given it to him.

Liu Xian’an was carefully counting the monthly funds he had been given over the years. Liang Shu saw this when he was passing by and thought that this money-obsessed person was very cute, so he went into the room and asked him: “What do you want to buy?”

“I don’t want to buy anything. I want to raise some money for A-Chang to build a Baihe Medical Clinic in the northwest. Father always mentioned this before, and now there is an opportunity,” Liu Xian’an said. “It’s a pity that I don’t have enough money.”

Liang Shu glanced at the table and said with a smile: “This is more than not just enough. You can at most buy three sets of tables, chairs, and benches, and you may have to haggle with the shopkeeper for a long time. All right, let the accountant calculate what is missing, and I will procure the rest for you.”

Liu Xian’an nodded: “That’s also fine.”

He agreed very readily.

And His Royal Highness Xiao Wang also paid very readily, but the old accountant responsible for handling his private accounts cautiously suggested that to build a medical center to benefit the common people, it seemed that he could ask for money from the Imperial court and did not have to provide it himself.

“Uncle Zhang, just grit your teeth and pay it.” Gao Lin put an arm around his shoulders and said earnestly, “After paying the money, our prince will be able to let Baihe Mountain Village raise him with more confidence in the future. This is his plan.”

The old accountant: Ai, how indecent, how indecent.

Liu Xianche also felt that the money should be paid by Baihe Mountain Village, so he went in person to seek out his brother. As a result, he caught up with a sleepy Liu Xian’an with a quilt pulled over his head, mumbling, “En, en, mm, mm.” There was no telling what nonsense he was dealing with, and he couldn’t get out a complete word for a long time.

If His Royal Highness Xiao Wang hadn’t returned in time, the lazy fellow likely would have received another ruler.

“This lord should pay the money.” Liang Shu smiled and calmly took two steps forward, protecting that person behind him. “The construction of the medical center is trivial. Xiao An also has no experience, so I’m afraid that First Young Master Liu will need to instruct A-Chang more in the future. How about I call him to the study now?”

“A-Chang went to the back mountain,” Liu Xianche said. “To burn paper offerings.”

The bodies of Feng Xiaojin, Wumeng Yunyou, and Wumeng Yunle were all cremated. The three of them carried the lives of countless Dayan people. Regardless of any hidden agendas behind them, bloody murders had been committed. Even if the Imperial court had buried them alive, it might not have been able to comfort the tens of thousands of dead souls along the Baihe River and in the southwest sky. Liu Henchang had secretly burned Feng Xiaojin and Wumeng Yunyou himself, and scattered their ashes in the freest wind. 

He hoped that their future lives would contain the same freedom.

Mu Zhe’s body was hung at the gate of Garrison City for public viewing, and Yuan Yu was beheaded. In the cult-less southwest, smiles and laughter flowed like a surging stream through thousands of colorful villages. 

And everyone here was finally leaving.

Cheng Suyue and Liu Hengchang went to the northwest together. Chang Xiaoqiu returned to the Wanli Escort Bureau, and Song Changsheng stayed with the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe to mend their sword. After mending it, he also went to the northwest. 

As for His Royal Highness Xiao Wang, he was ceremonially carried like a frail beauty to the carriage heading to Baihe Mountain Village, under the watchful eyes of the Imperial guards.

Liu Xianche: “……”

Gao Lin gripped the frame of the carriage and asked unresignedly: “Can I really not go to Jiangnan with you? Or perhaps back to the northwest.”

Liang Shu frowned: “How indecent is this!”

Gao Lin was ready to shed tears. But I’ve never gone to Wangcheng by myself, let alone to see the emperor. I’m scared.

“What are you afraid of? Emperor Brother won’t eat you. Besides, we won the war. Can you not profit from this and show off in style?” Liang Shu pulled his sleeves back forcefully and said, “Get down, don’t hang on the carriage anymore. You’ll delay the team’s auspicious time of departure.”

Gao Lin didn’t believe this. How could it be auspicious?

“It really is.” The old accountant on the side explained, “The prince spent five taels of silver the day before yesterday to ask someone to calculate it, because he must follow the etiquette of proposing marriage.”

Gao Lin: “……”

Truly, this was impressive.

Ku You also came to see everyone off. He had removed his battle armor and wore neat brocade robes. His silver hair made his skin look like snow, and when he stood there with high eyebrows and deep eyes, his entire person looked dignified and intimidating.

The old accountant asked quietly: “Lieutenant General Gao, look at Commander Ku. He is so pale that he is glowing. Don’t they all say that Third Young Lady Liu likes pale people? Why don’t you help match them up?”

“This won’t work. Pale is pale, but his body is too strong.” Gao Lin said, “When he had the eye disease, it still could have worked. Now that it has been cured, he has no relation to thinness and weakness. Last time, Third Young Lady Liu happened to meet Ku You while he was eating. And guess what, he didn’t say a word during the whole process and actually ate eight big buns in one go.”

Liu Nanyuan was constantly working and had a large appetite, but she only ate one and a half before feeling full. So when he saw Ku You’s amazing appetite, she was shocked. In the end, she finally couldn’t hold back anymore and said: “Commander Ku, I’m going to collect some herbs from the mountain. Are you finished eating? If so, you can lead me there.” And incidentally, he could also walk around to aid digestion.

The old accountant was happy. Isn’t this great?

“How is it great?” Gao Lin sighed. “Xiao Ku didn’t agree, saying that he would train troops in the afternoon.”

The old accountant: “……”

Forget it, just pretend I didn’t say anything. It’s all up to fate.

Gao Lin hated iron for not becoming steel, and Liang Shu couldn’t laugh or cry. Ku You was taken and educated twice in turn, and it was unknown if he pondered and reflected on some of it, but this time, he specifically sought Liu Nanyuan out and stretched his hand forward. There was a very small rabbit crouching on it, two big ears hanging down.

“Yi?” Sure enough, Liu Nanyuan opened her eyes wide.

Ku You said: “I picked it up at the training grounds this morning. Someone likely stepped on it and hurt its leg.”

“Indeed.” Liu Nanyuan took the rabbit into her hands and stroked it gently. “Then I will take it back to Jiangnan.”

Ku You nodded. “Good. Thank you, Liu-guniang.”

After she held it for a long moment, he finally said: “If you come to the southwest again in the future, remember to send someone to inform me.”

The only disadvantage he suffered was that his skin was too white and would turn red at the slightest whiff of trouble, so he said farewell in a hurry and turned around to leave.

He feared that if he walked slowly, the girl would look twice at him.

Gao Lin lamented that there was potential, but not much.

This group of people simply scattered in all directions.

From the southwest to Jiangnan, one could walk several sections of the Baihe River. The river had just barely calmed this year, but the cessation should not be taken lightly. Liang Shu lay on the side of the boat, gazing at the fields on both banks, and said: “It will be a big project.”

“If the project wasn’t big, there would be no need to delay it until now,” Liu Xian’an said. “At a rough calculation, it should take at least a hundred years, so let’s be the first.”

Liang Shu smiled and reached out to take him into his arms: “Okay, let’s be the first.”

But before they started, they must first go to Baihe Mountain Village.

The eight-hundred-li urgent secret letter had long been delivered to the emperor with the good news. At that time, Liang Yu was in early morning court, and all the civil and military officials were there. It could be imagined what kind of storm this military report caused in the court. Everyone was overjoyed, and knelt down to congratulate him. His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was praised up to the sky, even by those pedantic white-bearded old men who complained endlessly during the day. This time, they finally stopped remonstrating him up and down, and instead spoke auspicious words through their teeth. Their old faces couldn’t help but be happy.

Liang Yu’s Imperial face was also very happy. He immediately commanded that the entire capital city be decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations in preparation for His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s return after a great victory. Then, he couldn’t wait to open the family letter in front of everyone.

“……”

The lanterns could be kept off for now.

One of the ministers watched his expression closely and asked: “Your Majesty, is it His Highness?”

“He was injured during the war and his life was hanging by a thread.” Liang Yu looked at him. “Therefore, he went to Baihe Mountain Village to seek medical treatment first.”

The entire hall was in an uproar. To Dayan, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was the pinnacle of stability. His life was hanging by a thread. Could such a thing be fine?

“Court is adjourned!” Liang Yu stood up expressionlessly.

Then he wrote flamboyantly and with emotion in the Imperial study, after recovering from your injuries, return immediately, or else your dog legs will be broken.

That night, this letter home filled with the emperor’s warm care and concern was sent to Baihe City along with five carts filled with gold, silver, jewelry, and rare medicinal materials. Five days later, the embroiderers’ newly-made splendid winter clothes were also loaded onto a cart and sent on the road.

The wheels rolled as if it was a matter of life and death.

In the end, there were no delays, and they arrived at their destination before Liang Shu and his party.

Without Gao Lin and Cheng Suyue, Liang Shu was left with only the loyal accountant, Lao Zhang. Lao Zhang turned and looked at his family’s prince, commenting: “You are indeed luxurious and elegant, but I heard that Village Master Liu has always been thrifty and simple. Isn’t the prince too extravagant?”

“It’s the first time I’ve come to the door. How can I show up in rags?” Liang Shu was very satisfied with his outfit, and asked, “Have the things been delivered?”

“Yes,” Lao Zhang said. “They were specially sent at noon when there were the most people on the streets, and they even went around the city three times.”

At last, they entered the gates of Baihe Mountain Village. Two eunuchs held the gift lists and read them loudly, and one was so long that the man almost had smoke in his throat.

Master Liu was also dizzy after hearing this.

“Mother!” Liu Nanyuan hugged the little rabbit and threw herself into Madam Liu’s arms, saying happily, “I’m back!”

“It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back. You finally didn’t lose weight this time.” Madam Liu looked at her daughter happily for a long time and then asked: “Where are your brothers?”

“Da-ge is back too, and he’s accompanying the people from the palace.” Liu Nanyuan said, “Er-ge is staying at the inn with His Royal Highness Xiao Wang.”

Madam Liu’s face paled: “Is he simply not coming back?”

“He’s coming back, he’ll come back for dinner.” Liu Nanyuan said, “He and the prince still have some things to do, and they can’t get away for now.”

Madam Liu couldn’t hear such words. Hearing them made her heart ache.

Liu Nanyuan put the rabbit down and let it run to the side to eat grass. She took Madam Liu’s arm and said: “The prince has taken great care of Er-ge all the way, lifting him to the sky, and if he wants the stars, he will not give him the moon. Mother and Father have nothing to worry about. Even if Er-ge goes to Wangcheng in the future, or to the northwest, he can still lay down and do nothing just like he did at home.”

Or lie down for an entire year.

“But His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s temperament is rumored to be truly frightening.”

“There are rumors that my Er-ge is constantly jumping into the lake. Does Mother believe that?”

“Not only do I believe it, I also saw him jump with my own eyes.”

“……Let me give you another example. It is said that Er-ge is uneducated and has no skills, but in fact, his medical skills are not only far superior to mine, but can even be compared with Da-ge’s, and are probably not worse than Father’s. Didn’t Da-ge say this in the family letter?”

“I say, after receiving your eldest brother’s letter, your father was beaming with joy. Before he even finished reading the letter, he was walking around the house with his hands behind his back. When he saw the old fellows playing chess, he would crane his neck to watch for a long time and wait for them to ask for news about your second brother.” When mentioning this, there was at last a smile on Madam Liu’s face. “He still gripes when we go to bed at night, and it wakes me up from time to time.”

He mostly complained about A-Ning. Why didn’t he write about this matter earlier, and let his family’s young master write about it casually? Could that letter sent earlier really be considered a family letter? Without even mentioning anything serious, he first praised His Royal Highness Xiao Wang inexplicably for many pages, and then, with a flick of his brush, arranged his own future.

What parent could endure this?

In any case, after Master Liu read it, his vision went dark for three days and his ears were still ringing.

Liu Nanyuan said: “Da-ge now feels that His Royal Highness Xiao Wang is very good. I also feel that he will take very good care of Er-ge. No girl can afford to marry Er-ge, didn’t Mother say this herself? It’s good now, la, there is no girl at all.”

Madam Liu raised her hand and slapped at her.

Liu Nanyuan smiled and ducked: “Come on, let’s go ahead and take a good look at the things sent from the palace and enjoy the excitement.”

“As for you, you’ve only talked about your second brother. Did you not meet a young man you liked when you went out this time?” Madam Liu held her daughter’s hand. “If not, I think that the second young master of the Li family in Liyang City…..ai, why are you running? Slow down!”

Liu Nanyuan said while running: “Mother, you should take care of Da-ge first! He was almost recruited as a son-in-law when he went to the southwest this time, but he escaped in the end.”

Madam Liu’s face paled again: “Ah?”

None of the three children were worry-free. Madam Liu was very tired and wanted to go back to sleep, but couldn’t because His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was coming to dinner that night. She could only work hard to freshen up and change clothes, then personally arrange the banquet dishes. To indicate their ceremoniousness, a northwest chef from the city was specially invited to roast a leg of lamb.

And at the same time, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang opened his arms and asked: “Shall I wear these robes?”

Liu Xian’an nodded: “Okay.”

Liang Shu observed: “Why do I feel that you don’t care at all?”

Liu Xian’an continued to yawn, fighting his lowering eyelids. “Because the prince has been changing clothes all afternoon.”

There was a bewildering array, and he wasn’t allowed to be distracted, so it was really difficult not to be sleepy.

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Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Three << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five