The feathered arrow flew diagonally across the street and pierced into the haystack, causing a cheer.
The children who recovered from their illness finally left home.
The plague was subsiding, if not for the faint smell of sulfur in the air and the soul-recalling banners at the street corners.
Even those who lived through it might momentarily forget that this place was recently a hell on earth.
A black warhorse, escorting grain, trotted down the long street.
An arrow flew past the horse, startling it into a neigh.
The street fell silent.
The rider gently pulled the reins, lowering his gaze to the child standing frozen in the distance.
The woman beside the child turned pale, shaking the child’s shoulder and whispering, “Why are you shooting arrows here? Quick! Apologize to the Inspector!”
“Y-yes…” The child was completely terrified.
Xie Bufeng’s gaze slowly swept across the street.
On either side of the street, five or six children stood, each holding an arrow, with a palm-sized target on the haystack.
They seemed to be competing.
Realizing they had inadvertently disturbed an important person, the children stood motionless, frozen in place.
At that moment, Xie Bufeng dismounted from his horse.
Having come from the battlefield, he carried an aura of menace.
It’s over, we’re doomed…
In the midst of despair, Xie Bufeng’s voice suddenly sounded gently in their ears, “Give me the bow.”
“Huh? Oh, okay!” The child, stunned, handed over the bow.
Before he could react, Xie Bufeng spun the wooden bow in his hand, and with a whoosh, a silver arrow shot out like a meteor.
The haystack with the target was instantly shaken apart by the force.
In the blink of an eye, the arrow deeply embedded itself in the target.
The target, made of tough grass, was split into four pieces.
“Here you go.” Xie Bufeng raised an eyebrow slightly, handing the arrow back to the child.
The crowd on the street was stunned for a moment, then erupted into deafening cheers.
“Inspector! Inspector!”
“Your Excellency is so heroic!!!”
…So, the Inspector wasn’t angry?
“Sir!” The child, stunned, suddenly remembered something and ran forward, raising his hand, “This, this is for you…”
In his hand was a small stone bead—the prize for the competition.
The bead was not valuable, simply polished.
After extending his hand, he regretted it… Would the officer disdain this prize?
To his surprise, Xie Bufeng solemnly accepted it, then rode off, holding it in his hand.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
The surrounding people became even more excited, their cheers louder than before.
The words “Inspector” echoed throughout Lianhe.
Each word was filled with respect, gratitude, and admiration for Xie Bufeng.
In the distance, Wen Qingci, busy in the open space, turned to look at the longstreet upon hearing the cheers.
The scorching sun shone from behind, and at that moment, Xie Bufeng overlapped with the image of him in Wen Qingci’s memory from the north…
His heartbeat quickened with the deafening cheers.
Before Wen Qingci could react, the black warhorse stopped beside him.
Xie Bufeng dismounted with one hand, slowly opened his palm, and carefully placed the stone bead in Wen Qingci’s hand.
In Wei Dynasty, giving someone the prize symbolized sharing honor and disgrace.
The imperial physician beside Wen Qingci widened his eyes in surprise.
At that moment, Wen Qingci saw a hint of expectation and deep-seated anxiety in Xie Bufeng’s amber eyes…
Xie Bufeng’s words from years ago suddenly echoed in Wen Qingci’s ears.
“If I fall in love with a man, what should I do?”
Wen Qingci’s ears buzzed.
*
The plague in Lianhe was subsiding, but to solve it at its root, reforestation was needed.
Xie Bufeng was busy with this every day, traveling between the towns and forests around Lianhe.
He appeared entirely dedicated to the people.
The local people had never seen such a diligent and responsible Inspector.
Seeing Xie Bufeng busy every day, they wished to build a shrine for him and Wen Qingci to express their admiration.
…Xie Bufeng’s initial reason for doing these things was simple, he just treated this place as Shan Yu Stream.
“This fan is beautiful,” the imperial physician, now familiar with Wen Qingci, said as he picked up the folding fan on the table, “The fan is actually made of silk! Is this made in Yongting Prefecture?”
The fan surface was embroidered with green bamboo, shining faintly in the sunlight.
Wen Qingci answered honestly, “I don’t really know.”
“…Don’t know?” The physician’s expression became strange, as if the fan had become heavy.
After a moment of silence, he cautiously asked, “This fan… was it a gift from the inspector?”
Wen Qingci: “…”
It really was.
Recently, Xie Bufeng had been traveling to nearby prefectures, bringing things back for Wen Qingci every day.
He seemed to be patiently waiting for Wen Qingci to take off his veil voluntarily.
Seeing Wen Qingci not answering, the physician realized his guess was correct…
What to do now!
After spending some time together, the physician noticed a familiar feeling in Wen Qingci, reminiscent of the deceased “one.”
It seemed the emperor felt the same.
…He really seemed to have developed some affection for this physician from Songxiu Prefecture.
The story of Xie Bufeng and Wen Qingci had spread throughout the Wei Dynasty.
As imperial physicians in the palace, they had even seen Xie Bufeng with… that body.
He had even crossed half of the Wei Dynasty to bring a coffin back to Yongdu.
The emperor’s obsession with that person was deep.
He didn’t believe Xie Bufeng would transfer his feelings to someone else after a short time together.
So, the emperor might see this physician as a temporary substitute…
The Imperial physician’s mind was in turmoil.
After leaving the palace, the emperor seemed more approachable, but the fear of him was ingrained.
The physician wanted to warn his talented colleague not to get too involved.
But he didn’t know how to say it.
After a long silence, he squeezed out, “To be honest, the inspector once had a deceased, uh… wife. He was deeply in love with him, even though he has been gone for a long time, he still lives in his old house, and even…”
He lowered his voice, mysteriously saying, “He even seemed to have performed a ritual to summon her soul.”
“You do look a bit like him at first glance.” He added meaningfully.
“Cough, cough…” Song Junran, who was organizing medical records, suddenly coughed, his expression becoming strange, “What does your inspector’s family affairs have to do with us?”
Then he turned to Wen Qingci, saying meaningfully, “After we finish these tasks, we’ll be leaving in a few days.”
“Yes, yes!” Hearing this, the imperial physician breathed a sigh of relief, quickly tidying up his things and saying, “Indeed, I won’t say more. You carry on!”
He hurriedly left, closing the door of the yamen hall behind him.
In an instant, only Wen Qingci and Song Junran were left.
Dressed in blue, Song Junran glanced down at the medical case in his hand and slowly reminded, “The last batch of severely ill patients is gradually recovering. At the latest, we should return to the valley the day after tomorrow.”
“We’ve had enough of this madness. Don’t forget you still owe me a thousand gold.”
Without waiting for a response, as if afraid Wen Qingci would change his mind, Song Junran immediately took his things and left.
The room suddenly became quiet.
Wen Qingci slowly picked up his pen but didn’t write anything for a long time.
…Are we leaving?
He realized belatedly that until that moment, he hadn’t thought about leaving.
It seemed he had never considered that all good things must come to an end.
The dead cannot be brought back to life.
“Wen Qingci,” as the imperial physician had said, had become “a deceased person.”
Moreover, on the way to Lianhe, and even before leaving the valley years ago, he had promised his senior brother that he would return to the valley after dealing with worldly matters.
He… really should leave.
But thinking about it made Wen Qingci’s heart feel empty.
Time passed, and the paper remained blank.
The banquet before the palace coup and Xie Bufeng’s dangerous words were still vivid in his mind.
The ending of “Supporting the Ming Hall” was like a never-ending nightmare, constantly reminding him.
Wen Qingci had thought that Xie Bufeng must have resented him…
At least during his “lifetime.”
And Xie Bufeng’s later longing and love might have been mixed with the sentiment of “respecting the dead.”
—The dead are always easily forgiven.
After his death, the little good he did would be magnified, and people would gradually only remember those.
People can never let go of their resentment towards the living.
Only the dead become white moonlight, red roses.
But Xie Bufeng’s reaction was completely different from what he had imagined…
Xie Bufeng seemed to like him more than he had thought.
This thought, like an arrow, came out of nowhere and pierced Wen Qingci’s heart.
It broke through the target and made the haystack tremble.
In an instant, it felt as if something was about to break through its cocoon and become a butterfly—
That evening, the sky over Lianhe was filled with dark clouds.
The heavy clouds felt like a quilt pressing on one’s chest, making it hard to breathe.
“It’s going to rain heavily.” Yu Guanlin looked at the sky and said leisurely.
The past few days of toil had made him look even older.
After speaking, he suddenly turned back and said meaningfully, “Today is not a good day for traveling.”
Song Junran appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of Wen Qingci.
He smiled at Yu Guanlin and said, “Indeed, so I suggest your patrol inspector stay in Yongting Prefecture for a few days until the weather clears up and then return with the grain.”
“…Yes.” Yu Guanlin smiled.
The sky already showed signs of rain, and there were only a few pedestrians left on the road.
Just as a few people were about to return to the yamen office, the sound of horse hooves suddenly echoed from the end of the street.
Xie Bufeng came back so early?
Hearing the commotion on the street, many people who had already gone inside poked their heads out to observe curiously.
Song Junran was puzzled and saw a vermilion-painted carriage appear at the corner.
Then came a group of fully armed attendants, a grand procession.
…These were not Xie Bufeng’s people.
The people of Lianhe County looked at each other in confusion.
The soldiers guarding outside the yamen office hesitated for a moment, then quickly turned and ran back to inform the county magistrate.
“Old physician, who is this?” Song Junran lowered his voice and asked Yu Guanlin.
Yu Guanlin was also puzzled and shook his head, “To be honest, I don’t know either.”
As they spoke, the carriage stopped steadily in the open space.
A slightly overweight man with graying temples, supported by his attendants, slowly got out of the carriage and looked around.
He was dressed in purple, wearing a three-beam crown. Although they didn’t recognize him, his attire indicated he was a third-rank official in the current court.
The county magistrate was stunned for a few seconds, then hurriedly stepped forward to salute, “Minister Ge Zhangtong of Lianhe County greets the prefect—”
The surrounding soldiers and onlookers followed suit.
As a “patrol inspector,” Xie Bufeng was also a third-rank official, but he didn’t like people saluting him.
Therefore, such a grand scene was unprecedented in Lianhe.
“Prefect? What’s he doing here?” Song Junran muttered in confusion.
He was just complaining to himself, but Yu Guanlin, who had seen all kinds of situations in the palace, responded, “What else? He’s here to claim credit.”
Before the incident in Lianhe County, the people had no choice but to wait for death when faced with the plague.
This time, the matter in Lianhe County was handled unprecedentedly well.
It was obvious that the patrol inspector sent by the emperor would report everything to the capital.
Now that Lianhe was no longer in danger, the county governor of Heliang County had finally come to see the patrol inspector.
His purpose was to establish a good relationship with the patrol inspector so that he could be mentioned favorably when the inspector reported to the capital.
Sure enough.
Just as Yu Guanlin said, the county governor of Heliang County asked the county magistrate, “Where is the patrol inspector?”
“Uh, well…” The county magistrate thought for a moment and quickly replied, “The patrol inspector went to Yongting Prefecture to handle the grain.”
“Hmm.” The county governor’s face showed a hint of regret, as if he regretted coming so early.
As they spoke, another carriage arrived.
A young man in a dark green official uniform, with a plump figure, stepped down from the carriage, using a servant’s back as a step.
“What a lousy place,” he said disdainfully, looking around. “Father, you said we should arrive early. But the patrol inspector isn’t even here. What’s the point of coming so early? We should have stayed in Yongting Prefecture as I suggested. We might have met him sooner.”
“Say less.” The county governor impatiently glared at his son.
Then he cleared his throat and said, “Fine, take us around first.”
“Yes, yes!” The county magistrate quickly agreed, bending over to lead them into the yamen office.
The attendants they brought stayed outside, clearly not planning to let anyone else in for the time being.
“Bad luck.” Song Junran muttered.
…The county governor of Heliang County, a third-rank official, would surely recognize Xie Bufeng.
If Xie Bufeng couldn’t keep up the pretense, would he reveal his true identity in front of Wen Qingci? Or even use force?
Song Junran couldn’t help but recall the crazy scene he had accidentally witnessed that day…
If his junior brother fell into Xie Bufeng’s hands, he might be devoured completely!
Song Junran became instantly tense.
No, they have to leave early…
Wen Qingci and Song Junran had only brought a few changes of clothes, with the most important luggage being the medicine box.
At that moment, they were diagnosing patients in the open space, with the medicine box right beside them.
If they wanted to leave, they could do so now.
Thinking of this, Song Junran immediately made up his mind.
He slowly walked over, patted Wen Qingci on the shoulder, and led him to a quiet corner, lowering his voice, “Yu Guanlin is right. It looks like it’s going to rain heavily. We should leave before the rain starts and not delay any longer.”
Song Junran’s tone was calm but exceptionally firm.
He wasn’t discussing with Wen Qingci, he was simply informing his junior brother of his decision.
Wen Qingci’s mind was instantly in turmoil.
He subconsciously clenched his palm…
In the chaos, the creak of the yamen office’s gate in the distance suddenly drew Wen Qingci’s attention.
He instinctively turned his head, looking in that direction as if to escape.
The yamen office in Lianhe was smaller than the Imperial Medical Bureau.
It didn’t take long for the county magistrate to finish showing the two guests around and come out.
As Wen Qingci turned back, the county magistrate saw him.
“Lord Prefect, that Physician over there is the one who prescribed the medicine! Not only that, he stays here every day, treating the severely ill patients, tirelessly diagnosing and treating them!” The county magistrate’s words were full of gratitude and admiration.
“Oh, and… the method of sulfur fumigation outside the city was also proposed by this gentleman. Without him, Lianhe would never have managed to control this plague.”
After speaking, the county magistrate quickly waved to Wen Qingci and Song Junran, saying, “Gentlemen, please come over.”
The county governor’s gaze followed the county magistrate’s words and fell on Wen Qingci.
He frowned, scrutinizing this peculiar Physician.
At this moment, the county governor’s son spoke first, “You say he alone prescribed the medicine? And proposed sulfur fumigation?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Is he really that capable?” The man in green clothes spoke with a hint of doubt, “How did all the credit fall on him?”
The county magistrate cautiously raised his head, somewhat puzzled by the nobleman’s words, “Uh…” He opened his mouth but didn’t know how to respond.
At this moment, the governor stroked his beard, thought for a moment, and said in a deep voice, “The prescription was indeed his. Credit must be given where it’s due.”
“But I think the sulfur fumigation method need not be attributed to him.”
Unlike the county magistrate who had been in Lianhe all his life and was quite dull in this regard, Yu Guanlin, who was also in the open space, had a look of amusement.
He stepped forward, bowed to the governor, and said meaningfully, “Lord Governor, do you want your son to take this credit?”
The governor recognized Yu Guanlin.
In his impression, Yu Guanlin was a very sensible imperial physician.
Why was he speaking with such obvious sarcasm today?
He even blatantly revealed the true purpose of his visit.
The county governor came to Lianhe not only to seek rewards for himself but also to find some achievements to attribute to his son.
His son knew nothing about medicine, so claiming the prescription as his would be unbelievable. But the sulfur fumigation method was different…
Unlike his father, who had sensed something was wrong, the governor’s son said matter-of-factly to Yu Guanlin, “Am I not worthy of this credit?”
“Hahaha, whether you are worthy or not is not for me to decide,” Yu Guanlin’s murky dark brown eyes scrutinized the young man, “When the inspector returns, the governor can directly ask him. If the inspector agrees, it will be easy.”
The other young imperial physicians, who had long noticed Xie Bufeng’s favor towards Wen Qingci, couldn’t help but look forward to the upcoming drama.
Yu Guanlin managed his expressions, but the young imperial physicians did not.
Their gazes at the governor and his son were increasingly mocking.
The man in green clothes immediately got angry.
He quickly walked to Wen Qingci and Song Junran, looking at them mockingly, “What, don’t you know how to salute?”
Then, he frowned at Wen Qingci’s hat, “Wearing such a hat to meet the governor, how is that respectful? Take it off quickly!”
Clearly, he was venting his anger on Wen Qingci.
The clouds over Lianhe County thickened.
The air was stuffy and oppressive, making it hard to breathe.
Wen Qingci glanced at him indifferently, as if he didn’t see him, and picked up his medicine box to leave.
This disregard completely enraged the man.
“I’m talking to you!” The man in green clothes stepped forward, raising his hand to pull off Wen Qingci’s hat.
Wen Qingci turned to block his hand.
At that moment—
An arrow whistled through the air.
Like a sudden rain, it pierced the oppressive air.
Before anyone could react, it struck the man’s shoulder heavily.
“—Ah!!!”
The governor’s son clutched his wound, staggered a few steps, and screamed, “Who shot the arrow! Catch him—”
Blood gushed out, staining half his body red in an instant.
The arrow was broken and blunt, the kind children play with.
It relied solely on force to pierce the man’s bone.
The sight of the bright red blood made the governor stagger.
If not for the county magistrate supporting him, he would have fallen.
The soldiers guarding the yamen office, following the governor’s son’s order, raised their weapons and looked towards the long street.
The people of Lianhe, who had gone inside, came out to watch the commotion.
At this moment, they also looked in that direction with the soldiers.
—At the end of the long street, hundreds of meters away, Xie Bufeng, dressed in black with his long hair tied up, was holding a wooden bow, looking coldly in this direction.
His eyes were full of killing intent.
His amber eyes swept over the crowd.
The soldiers who had picked up their weapons to arrest him froze in unison.
Xie Bufeng laughed slowly.
He didn’t stop, instead, he raised his bow again.
His gaze was indifferent.
…Xie Bufeng deliberately slowed his movements, like a cat toying with its prey.
“What are you waiting for!” The governor, only concerned with his son’s injury, saw the soldiers standing still and shouted, “Arrest him!”
The hearts of the people of Lianhe County were in their throats.
They didn’t know who had higher authority, the inspector or this man.
…But as the saying goes, a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake.
Even if the inspector had a higher rank, he might not benefit here.
The governor turned and ordered, “—What are you all standing here for?”
But before he finished speaking, another arrow whistled through the air.
“Ah!”
This arrow struck the same wound from the side.
Everyone near the yamen office heard a “crack.”
This arrow completely shattered the man’s shoulder bone.
“Father, father… save me, save me…”
The governor’s eyes bulged with rage.
“Arrest him!”
“Who—” He struggled to stand, looking towards the long street.
At that moment, the young man on the black horse raised his bow again.
The governor outside the yamen office turned pale.
“This, this… how is this possible…”
Xie Bufeng, dressed in plain black, was followed by four similarly dressed guards.
The soldiers brought by the governor hesitated, then tightened their grip on their weapons and moved forward.
But before they could get close, the governor, who had been furious, tremblingly knelt on the ground with a “thud.”
The area outside the yamen office fell silent.
The governor in purple slowly knelt, his voice trembling with fear, “Your, Your Majesty… Long live, long live, long live…”
After speaking, he kowtowed three times.
When he looked up, his face was covered in blood.
In the silence, a loud thunderclap echoed from the distant sky.
A clap of thunder awakened everyone in the open space.
Long live the emperor?
…Did the governor mistake the inspector for the emperor?
The people of Lianhe County hadn’t reacted yet.
The imperial physicians in the open space also knelt, “Long live the emperor—”
The cries of “Long live” echoed like thunder, awakening all of Lianhe.
The surrounding people, as if waking from a dream, knelt and saluted the young man on the horse.
Wen Qingci was stunned for a moment, realizing he shouldn’t be standing, and quickly followed suit.
But in the next second, Xie Bufeng suddenly rode forward.
Like a black mist, he quickly approached.
Another thunderclap flashed across the sky.
In the distant mountains, heavy rain poured down.
At this moment, Xie Bufeng dismounted, discarded his bow, and walked over.
He gently helped Wen Qingci up.
At this time, thousands of people on the open space were kneeling on the ground and unable to get up.
Only Wen Qingci and Xie Bufeng were standing here alone.
Xie Bufeng whispered in Wen Qingci’s ear, “, You may rise.”
The faint bitter fragrance broke through the sandalwood, filling Xie Bufeng’s nostrils.
Their breaths intertwined instantly.
A wandering Physician cannot be called “Dear.”
Only an imperial physician like Wen Qingci deserves this title.
Not far away, Song Junran bit his lip at that moment.
Author’s Note:
Senior Brother: Run, run away immediately.
Dewy on BLPSG Chapter 86: The Emperor’s old illness: “I want QingCi to give this little wolf a big slap after healing him -__-” Oct 23, 13:18
