By the time they returned to Yancheng, it was already dark.
Xie Xuanying booked an entire inn to stay in, and sent the lead guard to the county office. He himself stayed by Yan Hongzhi’s side and discussed with him, “Sir, since we’ve run into this, we can’t not investigate.”
Yan Hongzhi asked, “What are you thinking?”
“I’m afraid the fishing village has long been colluding with the pirates, and we just happened to run into them.” Xie Xuanying stated his judgment. “There were only about twenty people today. I’m worried there are more than that.”
Yan Hongzhi stroked his beard and pondered for a long time, then asked tactfully, “Are you confident?”
Xie Xuanying was silent.
This time, when he came to Jiangnan, he had brought ten people. Bai Mu was his personal attendant – clever and sensible, but inexperienced. The steward was his mother’s dowry servant – his loyalty beyond doubt, and he was capable too, but everything he handled was financial and miscellaneous affairs. He could be ordered to do things, but he could not be consulted on strategy.
The remaining eight guards, however, were the Marquis of Jinghai’s men.
Their attitude was already very clear: his safety came first, and they absolutely would not take risks.
Just then, the guard leader returned, entering quietly, and reported, “As soon as we reached the county office, County Magistrate Wang received us and the others. Upon hearing the full story, he was very indignant, but he did not approve of sending people to investigate.”
Xie Xuanying asked, “Why?”
“He said pirates rarely invade this area. This time it must have been a coincidence, and since they have already been wiped out by us, there is no need to take extra trouble.” The guard leader said, “The two who escaped won’t amount to anything. If we make a big show of suppressing bandits, it would instead easily invite trouble.”
“Trouble?”
The guard leader sighed silently, then said sternly, “I made some inquiries. There are quite a few bandits and pirates along the Huai’an coast. The most famous is a bandit called Chen One-Eye, who has several large ships under him. If the authorities announce a bandit suppression, those who know will understand that we are looking for pirates. Those who do not know… especially Chen One-Eye, who is petty-minded, once he loses face, will certainly try to recover it.”
Xie Xuanying was almost angered into laughing.
“According to what you’re saying, I should worry about the pride of a bandit and let go of the criminals who openly abducted me?” He flew into a rage. “If this gets out, not to mention me, even the face of the Marquis of Jinghai’s household will be completely lost.”
The guard shut his mouth. After a moment, however, he hit the nail on the head. “County Magistrate Wang’s attitude is firm. He can send people to escort the young master and Master Zizhen to Huai’an Prefecture city, but if it comes to suppressing bandits, I’m afraid he won’t send even one person.”
Xie Xuanying drew a deep breath.
But contrary to expectations, he did not rage at the guard. He waved his hand. “I have my own plans. You may withdraw.”
“Yes.”
The guard withdrew cleanly and directly went to the western wing.
Cheng Danruo was here treating the wounded.
The guard had just entered the room when the fellow with the wounded buttock leaned over and said in a low voice, “Brother Li, this Doctor Cheng is really something. She stuffed Ah-Cheng’s intestines back in, and he still isn’t dead.”
“She certainly has some skill.” The guard leader’s surname was Li, and his name was Li Bowu. His own father was a personal guard of the old marquis. At sixteen, he had achieved minor mastery in martial arts and was noticed by Marquis Xie, who kept him at his side. Even his marriage was arranged by Marquis Xie. He could be said to be a trusted confidant of the Marquis of Jinghai.
Because he was steady and experienced in handling affairs, when Xie Xuanying came to Jiangnan this time, Marquis Xie had him escort his son.
Li Bowu had every intention of doing the assignment beautifully, but who would have thought that fate had other plans, and such an incident occurred on the return journey. He only hoped the young master would not be too rash and insist on wiping out that group of pirates. It would be enough to return to the capital safe and sound. From the current look of things, the county magistrate sought no merit and only wished to avoid blame, and would not wade into muddy waters, which coincided with his own thinking.
As he calculated inwardly, he raised his head and glanced again under the lamp.
Two Eight Immortals tables had been pushed together to form a long table. The youngest, Ah-Cheng, lay there. The intestines that had spilled out had already been put back into his abdominal cavity, and the wound had been stitched up.
He thought for a moment, then stepped forward and asked, “Doctor Cheng, Ah-Cheng’s injury…”
“Very serious.” Cheng Danruo’s brows were tightly knit. Although part of the damaged small intestine had been resected and the wound barely stitched, there was neither a sterile environment nor medication, so infection was almost inevitable.
The only thing to be thankful for was perhaps that the instruments had been sterilized at high temperature as much as possible, and the wound had not been contaminated with filth. With luck, he might perhaps pull through.
There was truly not much she could do. “He must not be moved much for several days. He needs quiet recovery, and he cannot eat or drink.”
Li Bowu nodded, then looked at the others. All had been re-medicated and bandaged. At the corner of the table there were still two medicine bowls, also already drained completely, leaving only a shallow layer of medicinal residue.
Then he said sternly, “I have not yet thanked you, Doctor, for saving my brother.”
Cheng Danruo said succinctly, “No need.”
“The young master is here,” said the guard with the wounded buttock at the door.
Xie Xuanying had already walked in and asked everyone, “Are you all well?”
Li Bowu cupped his hands in salute. “Thanks to Doctor Cheng, everything has been handled.”
Xie Xuanying nodded toward Cheng Danruo, then said, “For today’s matter, I owe much to all of you. Without everyone’s help, my teacher and I would likely have been in grave danger.”
His tone was as usual, still retaining the reserve of one in a superior position, yet his expression was solemn and by no means casual or disrespectful.
The guards hurriedly said, “We would not dare accept such praise. It was all our duty.”
Xie Xuanying smiled faintly, like a flicker of candlelight. Even though Li Bowu inwardly thought this young master was somewhat naive in his conduct, he could not help being momentarily dazzled.
“I said earlier that for every bandit killed, the reward is a hundred taels.” He looked around at everyone. “Please rest assured, I am not a man who goes back on his word. Bai Mu.”
The young attendant presented a stack of silver drafts. “Young Master.”
“There are seventeen silver drafts here in total, each exactly one hundred taels.” Xie Xuanying took away two and handed all the rest to Li Bowu, letting him distribute the rewards on his behalf.
Li Bowu knew that stating the amount openly was Xie Xuanying’s warning to him not to embezzle any of it, and that handing it all to him to distribute was to establish his authority. He immediately responded, “Yes, Young Master.”
Xie Xuanying nodded, but handed the remaining two silver drafts to Cheng Danruo.
She was surprised.
“Since rewards are given according to merit, one naturally cannot favor one and slight another,” he said. “Please accept them, Miss Cheng, and also this.”
He additionally handed over a purse. “For the next few days, whether it is medicinal materials or food, do not worry about the price. Use the best for everything. I entrust them to your care.”
Cheng Danruo thought for a moment, then accepted his reward and consultation fee.
Only then did Xie Xuanying say, “For the next few days…”
He observed the expressions of those present and spoke slowly. “My teacher is advanced in years. I plan to let him rest and recover here for some time.”
Li Bowu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He was just about to say a few words expressing loyalty when he heard him continue, “I will trouble Doctor Cheng to keep an eye on him. I plan to go to the guard station.”
Cheng Danruo was slightly startled.
“The pirates are savage. If they are allowed to roam freely, who knows how many common people will suffer at their hands.” Xie Xuanying’s tone was calm, which only made him seem more resolute. “Since we have encountered them, there is no reason to sit by and do nothing.”
Li Bowu was racking his brains for reasons to object when he heard Cheng Danruo speak. “Naturally.”
Everyone looked toward her in unison. She looked as usual and said with great certainty, “If I were a man, I would definitely go with Young Master Xie.”
If this had been yesterday, those present likely would not have taken her words seriously. But today she had truly killed two people, been covered in blood, and then treated their wounds without any change in expression, treating severed limbs and blood foam as nothing at all. So these words now carried genuine weight.
Even Li Bowu was thinking inwardly: You could not tell it, but Miss Cheng, a mere woman, actually has such spirit.
And so, unavoidably, a trace of heroic feeling rose in him. Was a real man, a true man of honor, to have less breadth of mind than a woman?
But the hot blood lasted only a moment, and he quickly calmed down.
If he were not following the third young master, he would have been inclined to plan something. But the task of himself and the others was to deliver Xie Xuanying home safe and sound. If they could avoid complications, they should not meddle in extra affairs.
“Young master…”
“Of course, I know you all have wounds on your bodies, and forcing yourselves to set out would instead be unwise.” Xie Xuanying did not even look at him and continued on his own. “Besides, people must also be left behind to guard my teacher.”
After saying this, he finally said to Li Bowu, “Guard Li, my father values you, and you handle matters steadily. If you can stay behind to protect my teacher, only then will I feel at ease.”
Li Bowu drew a breath inwardly and said decisively, “Young master, you speak too seriously. In my view, it would still be better for me, along with Zhang, Wang, and Zhao, to escort you there, and for the others to remain.”
The three guards Zhang, Wang, and Zhao were the more lightly wounded and could still ride and move without difficulty. The rest were wounded in vital places, and either could not ride or could not fight well. Leaving them behind as guards was barely workable.
Xie Xuanying looked steadily at Li Bowu. Seeing that he did not change his words, he finally nodded slowly. “Very well. Tomorrow morning, go buy several horses. We will set out as early as possible.”
“Yes.” Li Bowu hurriedly agreed, thinking to himself that it had been close.
Not wanting Xie Xuanying to take risks was one thing; staying behind was another. When a master wants you to do something, no matter what you think inwardly, if you refuse to do it, then there will be no need for you to do anything in the future.
Xie Xuanying paid no attention to what he was thinking. He said a few more comforting words to the wounded, telling them to rest and recover without worry, and only then left.
Cheng Danruo also could not linger long. She instructed, “In a little while, after the perilla is decocted, remember to take the medicine as I told you.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
“Please stay.”
She stopped Li Bowu, who had been about to see her out, and stepped outside the door, preparing to return to her room to rest.
At the corner, she saw Xie Xuanying standing under the moonlight, not knowing whether he was lost in thought or waiting for her.
“Miss Cheng.” He was waiting for her.
Cheng Danruo asked, “Does you have something to discuss?”
Xie Xuanying said, “Thank you.”
“I am a doctor.” She said, “It is merely my duty.”
But he shook his head and said softly, “For what happened earlier, thank you.”
Cheng Danruo smiled, but spoke frankly, “It was not to help you. I truly thought that way.” She looked into his eyes and said with complication, “If I were a man, I absolutely would not miss this opportunity. Unfortunately…”
Unfortunately, this world gives women far too few opportunities!
She could neither go to school and take the imperial examinations, nor use the two bandits she had killed to earn a future for herself.
How unwilling she was.
Opportunities to establish merit and build a career did not come at every moment. Among the pirates who threw themselves into the sea, there were surely quite a few down-and-out scholars who had repeatedly failed the examinations. It was rare that Xie Xuanying was willing to step forward, and he was also the son of a marquis household, with connections at court. As long as merit was established, even if the credit had to be yielded, it would still be enough to exchange for an opportunity.
“I am willing to use these two hundred taels of silver to exchange for a future,” she said self-mockingly. “But I have no choice. I can only accept this money.”
Xie Xuanying was stunned. He had thought Cheng Danruo had seen through his intentions and deliberately helped him, but he had not expected that this was actually what she was thinking.
Such a thought was not at all strange when applied to a man, but she was a young lady – how could she have such ambition?
“However,” she tried hard to restrain her emotions and smiled slightly, with the dignity of a proper young lady, as if the words just now had all been an illusion, “I believe there are plenty of people who will do so. Rest assured.”
Xie Xuanying paused, then said in a low voice, “That is what I think too.”
Cheng Danruo said, “I spoke out of turn.”
“No.” He hesitated and said, “I am very… glad.”
Xie Xuanying was not a catamite or sycophantic minister who relied on beauty to gain imperial favor. He had his own understanding of the subtleties of human nature.
He could tell that Li Bowu, backed by his father, wanted even more to fulfill his father’s entrustment than to kill enemies and establish merit, and tried his utmost to avoid complications. His teacher agreed that the pirates should not be allowed to run rampant, yet was deeply worried about his safety, caught in a dilemma, and instead did not know what to say.
At this moment, the only support he could obtain came from the person before him.
What was even rarer was that she was not “supporting Xie Xuanying,” but approving of “Xie Xuanying’s choice.”
Someone thinks the same as I do.
This thought steadied him and also uplifted him, along with a trace of subtle delight.
“Miss Cheng.” In truth, the osmanthus was just right tonight, and the bright moon hung high. In later years, when recalled, it could even count as a scene of flowers before and moonlight below. Unfortunately, at this time, Xie Xuanying did not think deeply of it at all, and only earnestly requested, “Please stay and take care of my teacher.”
“Rest assured.” Cheng Danruo agreed very readily. “I will certainly do my utmost.”
He could not help smiling.
Unlike the closeness he had deliberately shown earlier, this smile came from the bottom of his heart, just like rosy clouds reflected on a clear pond, or orchids blooming in a secluded valley, exceptionally stirring to the heart.
Cheng Danruo difficultly turned her face away, thinking, please do not smile at me again.
If she looked, it would be improper; if she did not look, it would be forcing herself against her own will.
